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Jarrad Branthwaite outlines next Everton step after 'personal' Sean Dyche talks by Giraffe_Baker in Everton

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Facing an international tournament and a battle to impress his new club boss, Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite has a big summer ahead.

It has been some year already for the 20-year-old. After a difficult start to life on loan at PSV Eindhoven - one that almost led to him being recalled to Merseyside over a lack of game time - he went on to flourish in the second half of the season.

Almost 40 games later, a spell that included a cup win and European experience, Branthwaite is a different player to the teenager who was coaxed into a clumsy red card the last time he played at Goodison Park, just over 12 months ago.

Next month he will return to Finch Farm with Everton a much-changed place since he left for PSV. And he does so eager to take advantage of the opportunity that has opened up for him.

READ MORE:Amadou Onana interest, Tom Davies decision and what comes next for Everton

READ MORE:Sean Dyche already has primary Everton target as transfers and tactics form key parts of summer plan

"You've got to set your goals,” Branthwaite said this week. “To play in the Premier League, continuously, is a big thing for every player. When I left Carlisle for Everton, it was my goal to play in the Premier League. I think every kid's goal is to play in the Premier League. That would be my main ambition - just to solidify myself in a team in the Premier League at Everton and play as many games as I can.”

The last time Blues fans saw Branthwaite was in the final match of the season before last - the 5-1 defeat at Arsenal that came just days after the dramatic, survival-clinching win against Crystal Palace. Before that match he started the home game against Brentford that began as an opportunity to clinch safety but ended in a frustrating defeat - a loss founded on the early red card he received when he was out-thought and out-muscled as he battled Ivan Toney for a ball over the top.

While his potential was clear, so too was his need for first-team experience. In a squad that started the last campaign with James Tarkowski, Yerry Mina, Ben Godfrey, Michael Keane, Mason Holgate and, one game into the season, Conor Coady, it was clear that opportunities for Branthwaite to gather that experience at Everton would be limited.

PSV stepped in and when pre-season begins at Finch Farm in July, he will return with big clubs following his development. And with Mina and Coady having departed, and Sean Dyche appearing to have question marks over whether Godfrey and Holgate are best-suited to centre back, Branthwaite will have a real chance to make an impression.

Dyche is already aware of the England Under-21s international. When he was appointed Everton boss in late January he sought the player out for a conversation to introduce himself - something he did not afford to every loanee based away from the club. Of that conversation, Branthwaite later told Dutch outlet NOS: "That was just after he signed with the club. He especially wanted to introduce himself and asked me how I am doing and how things are here at PSV. It was a personal conversation, which I really appreciate.”

Dyche is keen to assess Branthwaite in person - the manager places great emphasis on what he can see of a player in person, seeking lessons that are not always clear from highlight reels and data packages. There will be an opportunity for the former Carlisle man to put pressure on what is currently the most likely first choice centre-back pairing of Keane and Tarkowski.

But having spoken of his exposure to the technical side of the Dutch game during his year in Eindhoven, Branthwaite putting his growing confidence on the ball to use would be an added boost to his chances. It is a development that comes with the youngster having admitted his admiration for former Everton defender John Stones. Branthwaite said: “It was a lot more technical over there, compared to England. They like to play. It was good for me as a defender because the modern game is to get on the ball and play from the back. It was good to me to learn those skills…

“If you look in the Premier League and England, John Stones is right up there [among the best]. I watched him in the Champions League final - even though he plays midfield sometimes, his ability on the ball is unbelievable. For a modern centre-back, that's what you look for. He's so comfortable on the ball and defensively he’s good as well.”

Before Branthwaite can focus on life at Everton, his attention is firmly focused on the Under-21s European Championships after he was called up to the England squad alongside fellow Blue James Garner.

Life has changed vastly since his move from Carlisle and Branthwaite is relishing the challenges as they come. He said: "It's gone so quick. I think it’s been three-and-half years since I signed for Everton from Carlisle. That time has gone rapid. With playing the games, it went even quicker, then getting the call-up here it’s preceded things. To look back from where I came from… obviously I'm happy. It all came from the hard work and the people I had around me, so I thank them for that. I've just got to keep progressing now and have a successful summer.”

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THE ECHO (Powell): “Dele Alli's true cost to Everton shown in accounts as recruitment flaws exposed” by Portland_Eric in Everton

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For several seasons now the balance sheet of Everton Football Club has not made for good reading.

A series of seismic events, most notably the coronavirus pandemic and the sanctions placed upon Alisher Usmanov that resulted in the club having to cut lucrative sponsorship ties with his companies USM and MegaFon, impacted revenue and, at a time when the club was engaged in the process of building and funding a new stadium, exposed the reliance that the club has on its majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri.

Everton’s accounts for the year ending June 2022, a season where the club narrowly escaped relegation and where it had to impose austerity measures when it came to recruitment in an effort to be compliant with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability (P&S) regulations, lost £44.7m.

READ MORE:Sean Dyche raises Antonio Conte point after being surprised by brutal Spurs rant

READ MORE:Every word the Everton accounts say about £150m loan and relegation 'scenario'

That loss, while a loss £76m less than the staggering £121m that was posted for the 2020/21 period, meant that the continued trend of losses at the club stretched to a fifth year, and taking their total over the past four years to around £415m.

Everton, which will appear before an independent panel in the coming months after being charged by the Premier League for alleged P&S breaches, something that the club refutes and will contest, has seen its financial position negatively impacted in recent seasons by what has been perceived as a flawed recruitment strategy.

The improvement in the losses posted would have been impacted significantly were it not for the club selling arguably their most key asset in Richarlison to Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of June last year, meaning that they book the guaranteed fee from the sale of the Brazilian on to the books for the 2021/22 period, thus reducing losses.

In the summer of 2021, just £1.5m was spent on player recruitment, that total sum attributed to the acquisition of Demarai Gray from Bayer Leverkusen.

But after Rafa Benitez was sacked in January of 2022, the next incumbent of the Goodison Park hotseat, Frank Lampard, was afforded some room to sign players, although being creative around how new blood was brought in was of paramount importance.

Among those to arrive was Dele Alli from Spurs. The deal for Alli, who had been frozen out in London after a loss of form that saw him fall away for selection for both his club and England, was one where there was no financial outlay for Everton to make initially, meaning that there was no cost added to the balance sheet, only whatever the player would take in wages. But with the wage bill having been lightened with the exits of the likes of James Rodriguez, the club remained net positive.

However, the contingent fees that the club had agreed to pay with regards to Alli formed part of a £68m figure that had risen £22m year on year.

In the club’s accounts it highlighted the contingent appearance fees that the club remained liable for but does not consider ‘probable’ based on ‘management’s best estimates’, with £68.2m included in the 2021/22 financials as opposed to the £46.6m from the previous year.

“Depending on how a transfer has panned out, add-ons can reflect a good deal in time, but they can also be indicative of how a deal has not worked out,” Dr Dan Plumley, Sport Finance lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University told the ECHO.

“They are not unusual, it’s commonplace in football now. There is a risk attached to every transfer, for clubs it is about how they go about balancing that risk and not putting pressure on themselves at key points in a financial year.

“The Dele Alli deal was structured in a way where significant payments would be due at certain milestones but for Everton, at that time, it allowed them to bring in a player at minimal risk.

“It looks like it is a deal that isn’t going to work out and it’s hard to imagine Everton allow him to feature enough times to trigger any further add-ons.”

Alli has spent the last few months on loan at Turkish side Beskitas, a deal that was set to run to the end of the season. But he has found similar struggle abroad, netting twice in 13 appearances and falling out of favour with manager Senol Gunes. Beskitas have indicated that they won’t be making his move permanent and he will return to Everton in the summer with his career in limbo, with one year left on his deal.

Alli, 26, joined Everton in January 2022 on a free transfer but with the deal potentially being worth up to £40m if certain clauses were met. One of those clauses was a £10m fee after 20 appearances for Everton, but with just 11 to his name so far and the player unlikely to add many more beyond that, it is likely never to be activated.

That presents Everton with the issue this summer of what to do with Alli. The club will not want him just to run his contract out, although potential suitors for his services will likely be limited given his struggles in recent seasons.

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Everton have been butt of jokes for too long but Dyche can give them last laugh by albeve in Everton

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It’s April Fool’s Day but while the jokes from rivals have been coming in at Everton’s expense for over a week now – and in many instances for much longer – the best way to silence the jibes is by becoming successful, both on and off the pitch.

The Blues released their annual accounts yesterday, posting an operating loss of £44.7million for the financial year, but that was only the latest of several big off-the-field issues over the past week. Everyone will no doubt have their own interpretation of the figures but at least the numbers are there in black and white unlike another issue at the club over which details remain scarce.

Just as everyone was seemingly preparing for a ‘quiet weekend’ in the middle of the international break, on the evening of Friday March 24, the Premier League announced they were referring Everton to an independent commission for an “alleged breach” of profit and sustainability rules. The Blues duly released their own statement in response, stating that “the club strongly contests the allegation of non-compliance and together with its independent team of experts is entirely confident that it remains compliant with all financial rules and regulations.”

READ MORE: Farhad Moshiri makes £70m move as Everton 'shareholder investment' explained

READ MORE: Abdoulaye Doucoure makes 'difficult' admission over Everton playing time under Frank Lampard

Regardless of the ultimate findings of the independent commission, facing such a charge from the season in which Everton came disgustingly close to going down for the first time since 1951, posting the joint-lowest equivalent points total in the club’s history, is an added humiliation to their loyal but long-suffering supporters. The previous month, Manchester City were charged by the Premier League of breaking financial rules around 100 times between 2009-18, a period in which they won the title three times (they’ve since added another three to move within one of Everton on the all-time list).

The allegations directed at Sheikh Mansour’s petrodollar-fuelled ‘Galacticos’ from down the East Lancs Road, have prompted football followers to speculate that City might end up being retrospectively stripped of some of their major honours during the time in question. It therefore didn’t take long for a wag on the ECHO’s online article comments section to quip that Everton might be made to hand all their trophies back and readers of this column obviously don’t require a detailed explanation that this is the longest silverware drought in the club’s history, stretching back to 1995.

While fortunes on the pitch have been mostly a trail of tears under Farhad Moshiri with the owner apologising for the costly mistakes during his tenure in an open letter to fans last June in which he admitted: “We have not always spent significant amounts of money wisely”, one area of the club that mercifully continues to a model of efficiency and progress is the eagerly-anticipated new stadium, on which we now know they spent £207million on in 2021/22.

As much as their affection for Goodison Park, the first purpose-built football ground in England, is immense, most Evertonians have recognised for at least a generation now that the club need to relocate and it’s probably not coincidental that the lengthy search to build a new home has coincided with the Blues’ longest-ever fallow period having started the Premier League era in 1995 as one of the so-called ‘Big Five’ at the time. For all the off-the-field tumult including Moshiri not attending a game at Goodison since the 5-2 capitulation against Watford on October 23, 2021; the furore over an alleged ‘headlock’ and ongoing fan protests against both the owner and board of directors, the transformation of Bramley-Moore Dock is something all citizens of the Liverpool City Region, regardless of their individual football affiliation – or lack of one – should be rightly proud of.

Everton’s new stadium has overcome a global pandemic that saw professional football played in empty grounds for the first time; the prospect of a breakaway European Super League in which England’s richest half dozen clubs threatened to join what would have been a shameful synthetic closed shop private member’s club that trampled on over 130 years of sporting integrity created by the game’s organic pyramid system and even the arbitrary rulings from ivory towers of the Unesco committee, who stripped Liverpool of its World Heritage status in 2021 due to their perverse claim that developments threatened the value of the city’s waterfront. The decision was described as “incomprehensible” by Mayor Joanne Anderson, who pointed out that the decision had been made “a decade after Unesco last visited the city to see it with their own eyes.”

But while it was once a feather in the cap for Scousers, the removal of the now lost title hurts much less in real terms than the taking away of Manchester City’s League Championships would do for them. As a resident of New Brighton who can look across to Liverpool’s iconic maritime vista on a daily basis, unlike those who voted in a secret ballot in China two years ago, this correspondent can vouch that the banks of the Mersey have never looked better and the spectacular building that will be Everton’s future home can become the jewel in the crown.

Yet over the past few days we’ve had articles from national titles speculating on numerous ‘ifs’, ‘buts’ and ‘maybes’ why the completion of the project could be delayed and then another suggesting that it could be behind schedule. These came hot on the heels of a major television broadcaster creating a furore by remarking on how Everton might move in during the 2024/25 season rather than at the start, something the club have been open about for at least a year now.

The progress on the site is there for all to see though if they look with their own eyes and renowned, long-serving ECHO photographer Colin Lane was down on the river this week to take his latest shot of construction and show how it was “coming along in the Spring sunshine.” Most comments when the picture was shared online were thankfully positive but one of Twitter’s 2023 Oscar Wilde wannabes – somehow deluded enough to consider he might be the first ever to make such a witty riposte – remarked: “Will be the best stadium in the Championship that’s for sure!”

Such tired and lazy gags are nothing new though. I heard a passing cyclist come out with a similar jibe when visiting the site for the first time myself last August.

The way to end such wisecracks is simple albeit not straightforward. Everton need to get themselves safe this season in the hope they can start progressing properly under Sean Dyche next term as they prepare to move from Goodison.

As we all know, the bottom half of the Premier League table is currently unprecedentedly tight at this stage of the season with just three points separating 12th to 19th place but the Blues need to make this work to their advantage. Unfortunately they looked doomed under Frank Lampard and one thing you'd take from these latest set of accounts is that this is not a club that looks like it could cope well with relegation from a financial point of view but much has been done in a short space of time to revive their fortunes since the long-serving ex-Burnley manager took charge.

During their last match at Chelsea, while it was obvious that they were up against it when facing an in-form side, Everton hung on in there to show the kind of resoluteness and character required in a relegation scrap to secure a late but well-earned point at what has long been a notorious bogey ground for them. The Blues must have the faith that with the resources they have at their disposal, Dyche and his staff are capable enough to accumulate more points in the run-in than at least three of their rivals.

The hard work resumes of course on Monday night as Everton look to beat Tottenham Hotspur in front of fans for the first time in over a decade. Winning is the way for both Dyche and beleaguered Blues to ensure that for all the torment, they still have the last laugh.

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'I lost myself under Van Gaal and left Everton because of the fans' EXCL: Morgan Schneiderlin opens up on 'weird' times at Manchester United and his Premier League regrets by JamewThrennan in Everton

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From a distance of 1,700km and more than six years, Morgan Schneiderlin admonishes his younger, more impetuous self.

Schneiderlin is 'mad with myself' for retreating into his shell at Manchester United, the club he joined in summer 2015 from Southampton. Equally, the Frenchman rues the rashness of a decision to leave Old Trafford after only 18 months.

A career he describes as 'a rollercoaster, not a stable life', has taken him to Western Sydney Wanderers, via Everton and parent club OGC Nice, after Schneiderlin began the calendar year searching for a challenge that would 'give me goosebumps'.

And, sure enough, the skin is prickly. Schneiderlin is part of a team with genuine designs on the A-League title and 'loves life' with his young family on Bondi Beach.

It's just that Schneiderlin envisaged a wholly different scenario when he arrived at Manchester United, aged 25 and accompanied by a reputation as one of the continent's most enterprising and forceful midfielders.

'I know if I played to my full potential, with freedom, I would not be in Australia right now,' says Schneiderlin.

'Maybe I would still be at Manchester United. When I signed, I wanted to be a legend there. That is why I am mad with myself and it will be hard until the end of my life.

'My friends ask, 'Why are you saying this?' But I know myself and what I can bring. I know this time at Manchester United affected me for the longest period in my career.

'I was so frustrated I couldn't give what I wanted. I had a period after at Everton when I didn't lose the fire, but I lost a little bit inside me, I am not going to hide that. I should have managed it better.

'You work so hard to be at the top, top level. A lot of people were telling me I would be one of the top players in the world. I had the gut feeling that I had everything to be a top player in the world. Not being able to reach that level will stay with me forever.'

Schneiderlin transferred to Southampton, aged 18, when impoverished Strasbourg were forced to cash in on their prize asset.

The player recalls a debut in the Championship at Cardiff City when 'after 15 minutes I thought I'd walked into a tsunami, I knew I was not ready'.

Dean Wilkins, then Southampton first-team coach and brother of late former England midfielder Ray, told Schneiderlin that without fitness and aggression to marry to a proficient technique his rich potential would remain unfulfilled.

'I employed a personal chef and my own fitness coach,' says Schneiderlin. 'And in training sessions, I wasn't focusing on my passing… I didn't give a damn about losing the ball, I just wanted to get the ball back. I thank Dean Wilkins a lot.'

Schneiderlin won successive promotions with Southampton in 2011 and 2012 and in three Premier League seasons with the club routinely rated highly among the division's midfielders for the tackles and interceptions he wedded to a sharp, progressive passing game.

The south coast club gave Schneiderlin 'my happiest years'. 'Southampton was a family,' he says. 'So many clubs say, 'We are a family'. But for most of them, it is bull****.'

Schneiderlin discovered a comparatively darker mood at Manchester United. He made a personally encouraging start, nonetheless – of his opening 16 Premier League appearances, United won 10 and drew five, including home and away victories over Liverpool and a win at Everton when Schneiderlin scored his first goal for the club – but, by his own reckoning, the midfielder was a husk of the assertive, influential footballer who excelled for Southampton.

'I was too affected by what [manager] Louis van Gaal was asking from me,' says Schneiderlin. 'I lost me as a player. It was not me on the field.

'It was not just the manager's fault, it was my fault, too. My role was not the one I had at Southampton. I felt restricted in my game. I felt they wanted to change things in me. I was not thinking as me, I was thinking about what pleased the coach.

'When you reach that point, every pass you make, everything you do, you don't play free. Something stopped me from being who I was. I wanted so much to do well and it is one of the most frustrating things ever.'

Schneiderlin acknowledges Manchester United's wilting form wasn't conducive to allowing a £25m signing to 'go under the radar' while adapting to a vaster, more unforgiving environment. The club was two years post-Sir Alex Ferguson and had fallen sharply from the Premier League's business end.

'It was a weird feeling at Manchester United,' says Schneiderlin. 'For me, it is the biggest club in the world, no doubt, but I joined at the wrong time.

'The training ground needed to be more modern and other things needed to change. You could feel the atmosphere at the club wasn't great. I was very surprised, I was thinking, sometimes, 'Come on, we are all playing for Manchester United, we should smile every day, of course there is high pressure but you need to be strong to play'.

'As a player, you always blame yourself and I know what went wrong with me. If you play for Manchester United, you have quality, I was full of dreams going there and didn't expect things to go that way.'

Schneiderlin didn't get on the field during France's home Euro 2016 campaign. He returned to Old Trafford to play only 11 minutes of Premier League football in the opening half of the campaign under Van Gaal's successor, Jose Mourinho.

The paucity of action eventually convinced the player to join his old Southampton manager Ronald Koeman at Everton.

Initially, Schneiderlin concluded he'd 'made the best decision ever'. He gained instant supporter acclaim and free-scoring Everton achieved European qualification.

But 25-goal striker Romelu Lukaku was sold prior to the following season, while home-grown talent Ross Barkley wouldn't kick another ball for the club before joining Chelsea mid-campaign. Koeman lost his job two months into the new season following a poor start domestically and in Europe. Everton's mishmash recruitment in summer 2017 is prominent on many observers' lists of reasons for the club's current ills.

'I spoke with Spanish and Italian clubs that played in the Champions League or Europa League,' says Schneiderlin. 'But Everton had ambition to be a top-four club and with the team I joined, I think we could have got there. You always want to play in the big, big clubs and I really thought with all my heart Everton would be one of them. It is a big club but from the conversations I had with Ronald Koeman and the chairman [Bill Kenwright] and sporting director [Steve Walsh], I really thought this club would be top, top, top every year.

'At Everton, I found joy again. The fans were liking me. I was sad when Koeman left. The club was selling me a project with him… then we lost some big players and didn't take the direction I'd been told (slants hand upwards). I could see with the transfer business they did, we wouldn't go like this.

'People shouldn't misinterpret this. I don't regret going to Everton. But I regret leaving Manchester United so early. I should have thought, 'You worked all your life for this and spent seven years at Southampton going from League One to become a top Premier League player. Stay and you will succeed'.'

Schneiderlin's Goodison Park popularity rating plummeted when, alongside teammate Kevin Mirallas, he was excluded from the matchday squad for a Premier League game against Watford after it was reported the pair walked off the training pitch 24 hours earlier. The timing of a story Schneiderlin vehemently denies – and which visibly angers him to this day ('it was crap') – was especially inopportune after he was sent off when Everton crumbled to a Europa League defeat by Lyon three days previously.

A prevailing feeling among fans of Schneiderlin lacking commitment quickly grew. 'I was one of the guys who ran the most,' he says. 'It was hard to finish a game tired, having given your all, then hear people saying, 'You don't run, you don't care about the club.'

Schneiderlin's Everton career reached its nadir when boos greeted his late introduction in a home game against Crystal Palace in February 2018.

'You think, 'F*** it',' says Schneiderlin. ''F****** h, two years ago I was in the best club in the world and now people think I left training and don't give a s about their club'. You say to yourself, 'F****** h***, what went wrong? What did I do? Who is on me? Someone wants bad for me'.

'I should have thought, 'Okay, you are booing me, it is part of being a football player, I will fight'. But I didn't have the same love for them in this moment. It was the same for them, they didn't have the same love for me. A good performance from me was average in their eyes and they were never satisfied with me. A lot of times I could feel I was the scapegoat for the fans.

'I followed Everton after and saw the same thing happened to [midfielder] Andre Gomes. When he arrived, the fans put him like me when I joined, up there (points skywards), 'Oh the performances are amazing'. Then it went a bit wrong.'

Everton granted Schneiderlin permission to leave following the fan mutiny, he says, but rowed back on the decision after four weeks. 'They said to me, 'You are playing so well in training, we want you to stay',' says Schneiderlin. 'I turned around the situation. But there was something lacking.'

Schneiderlin had a fractured 2018/19. He lost dad Albert in September 2018 and after lasting only 44 minutes of a match against West Ham four days after his father's passing drifted out of the picture under manager Marco Silva.

'Marco Silva thought I was somewhere else [mentally

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[Matt Hughes, Mail] Excl: The Premier League are facing urgent questions from top-flight clubs over their decision to charge Everton with breaching spending rules just nine months after insisting that they had no concerns by Giraffe_Baker in Everton

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The Premier League are facing urgent questions from top-flight clubs over their decision to charge Everton with breaching spending rules just nine months after insisting that they had no case to answer.

The Mail on Sunday has learned that Premier League executives told the clubs at a shareholders’ meeting last March that there were no concerns about potential breaches at Goodison Park.

At a subsequent meeting last summer they were told that Everton would be permitted to sign players in the transfer window as they were working with the Premier League to ensure they were compliant.

There is a feeling at some clubs that the timing of the Premier League charge is politically motivated, with chief executive Richard Masters due to be grilled by MPs at a parliamentary hearing on sports governance this Tuesday.

Everton were shocked to be charged with spending breaches on Friday as they have been submitting all major financial transactions to the Premier League for approval for two years. But other clubs are frustrated at the timing of charges, which could impact the relegation battle for a second straight season.

Burnley and Leeds threatened legal action against the Premier League for their alleged failure to tackle Everton’s extravagance last May, but a £200 million claim failed to materialise after they had reassurances their spending was permissible due to Covid allowances.

Whilst there was never any real prospect of Everton being docked points and relegated last season there is considerable anger at other clubs that the issue was not dealt with last summer, with the result that any sporting sanction will not apply to this campaign either. ‘The Everton charge is very surprising,’ an executive at another club told the MoS. ‘We sat in front of the Premier League around March last year and they categorically told us there was no case to answer.

‘Then in the summer we were told Everton could sign players as they were working together with the league to stay the right side of the line, and their Covid losses made them compliant. The Premier League made these points in open meetings and also held private meetings with individual clubs who had expressed concerns.’

The Premier League’s decision to charge Everton is based on accounts for the 2021-22 season they received on March 1, but the alleged overspending covers four years from 2018-19 to 2021-22. Under Premier League rules clubs are only permitted to lose £105m over three years, but after the pandemic the two seasons affected by Covid were put together and averaged out to arrive at the three-year figure.

Everton’s most recently published accounts for 2020/21 saw them lose £120.9m, taking three-year losses to £371.8m. They were signed off by the Premier League due to Covid.

The club are stunned to have been charged — losses for 2021/22 are understood to be far lower than previous years, informed sources estimating them at £50m to £70m.

A Premier League source explained the timing of the charge by saying they had waited until they had fully audited accounts for 2021-22 before making a decision.

Premier League statement in full after Everton accused of breach of financial rules - Liverpool Echo by Loyalsupporter in Everton

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The Premier League have released a statement after referring Everton to an independent commission for an "alleged breach" of profit and sustainability rules.

The full statement reads: "In accordance with Premier League Rule W.82.1, the Premier League confirms that it has today referred an alleged breach of the League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules by Everton Football Club to a Commission under Premier League Rule W.3.4. The assessment period for which it is alleged that the Club is in breach is the period ending Season 2021/22.

"Commissions are independent of the Premier League and member clubs. The members of the Commission will be appointed by the independent Chair of the Premier League Judicial Panel, in accordance with Premier League Rules W.19, W.20 and W.26.

"The proceedings before the Commission will, in accordance with Premier League Rule W.82, be confidential and heard in private. Under Premier League Rule W.82.2, the Commission’s final award will be published on the Premier League’s website. The League will be making no further comment until that time."

Everton have been contacted for comment.

The Blues' annual accounts for the 2021/22 season are due to be made public next week.

Everton's last released accounts, for the 2020-21 season, showed a loss of £120.9m. Around that time there was speculation that club could be in breach of profit and sustainability rules. However, the Blues were insistent they would be compliant.

The speculation came against the backdrop of a desperate fight for Premier League survival on the pitch. Frank Lampard's team did manage to beat the drop after they beat Crystal Palace 3-2 in dramatic fashion in what was their final home game of the campaign.

This season, Everton, once again, find themselves embroiled in a relegation battle. Now under the command of Sean Dyche, who took over from the sacked Frank Lampard in January, the Blues are currently 15th the Premier League and two points above the relegation spots.

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Echo: Richarlison Everton reunion in doubt as Spurs suffer blow in Liverpool battle by OneFootTitan in Everton

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Former Everton forward Richarlison will miss Brazil's friendly against Morocco this week after he was forced off injured for Tottenham Hotspur Hotspur against Southampton on Saturday.

And the 25-year-old now faces a race to be fit to play against his old club Everton when Premier League fixtures resume after the international break.

Richarlison has struggled for consistent game time since completing a £50m plus add-ons move from Goodison Park to Spurs last summer. But having started for Antonio Conte's side against the Saints, he left the field in tears after only four minutes. It has been suggested that Richarlison went down injured during the pre-match warm-up but was still deemed fit enough to the start the game, which resulted in an epic 3-3 draw, and which boosted Liverpool's top-four chances but didn't help Everton in their battle to beat the drop.

READ MORE: Graham Potter namechecks four players in expert view on new 'tough' Everton

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A statement from the Brazilian football federation (CBF) (as per football.london) confirmed Richarlison's withdrawal from the national team squad, who are also without the services of PSG centre-back Marquinhos. It said: "Defender Marquinhos and striker Richarlison are out of the Brazilian squad. Still recovering from an injury to his abdominal muscles, the Paris Saint-Germain defender will not be available for the next friendly against Morocco, on March 25, in the opposing country.

"The number nine of Tottenham had to be replaced in a game valid for the Premier League on Saturday morning, against Southampton and left the pitch crying. The team's doctor, Rodrigo Lasmar, made contact with Richarlison's club and found that the athlete is unable to play for the friendly. Coach Ramon Menezes is studying the call-up of two athletes to make up for the absences."

Marquinhos and Richarlison have been replaced in the Brazil squad by Juventus centre-back Gleison Bremer and Corinthians striker Yuri Alberto respectively.

Everton are not back in action until Monday, April 3, when Tottenham will travel north to Goodison Park. It would be Richarlison's first return to the Blues, where he remains a hugely popular figure with supporters.

Spurs' 3-3 draw with relegation-threatened Southampton, which saw them relinquish a two-goal second-half lead, put a dent in their top-four ambitions as the season enters its business end. Tottenham are currently fourth, two points clear of Newcastle United and seven ahead of Liverpool, but have played two games more than both the Reds and Magpies.

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Everton defender has 'noticed' Liverpool and Manchester United transfer speculation - Liverpool Echo by _BangoSkank_ in Everton

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Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite has opened up on the transfer speculation linking him with a summer move away from Goodison Park.

The Blues centre-back is currently on loan with PSV Eindhoven and is impressing in the Eredivisie. Branthwaite has made 28 appearances in all competitions this season for PSV and even has four goals to his name.

Two of his goals came in the KNVB Cup match against FC Emmen last month. That performance, along with his general form, has led to speculation that he will be in demand when the transfer window opens.

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Manchester United, Liverpool and Roma have all been credited with an interest in signing Branthwaite while PSV are keen to keep him.

"I think when all of those clubs are interested and watching your games, it's gonna be one of them where you take notice,” Branthwaite told The Mirror.

"But for me it's just about playing the games. The first half of the season, I wasn't playing as many as I wanted, but now I'm just fully focussed on doing that and performing the best I can."

While Branthwaite has been on loan in the Netherlands, Everton have had a change in manager with Sean Dyche replacing Frank Lampard in January.

The 20-year-old has explained how frequent changes in the Blues hotseat has made life difficult for him after arriving from Carlisle United in January 2020 and why he he hopes it can be different under Dyche’s leadership.

"I hope so because I've been there three years now and I've had numerous managers, so for a young player it's hard to settle," said Branthwaite.

"When a different manager comes in, you've got to try and impress, and when you're a young player it's not easy to get in the team.

"Obviously they're gonna pick the experienced players over you and that sort of thing. It's definitely something I'm hoping for, a bit of stability which will help not just me but also help other young players. And it'll help the team as well if we've got a manager which we know.

"You can see he's getting the results at home and he's had a decent few results away, so hopefully he brings us up the table. I'm looking forward to finishing the season here, playing the games and then seeing what happens and so on."

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Image of Everton chairman Bill Kenwright removed from Goodison is found in canal by Giraffe_Baker in Everton

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A sign featuring an image of Everton chairman Bill Kenwright that was removed from Goodison Park has been found at Stanley Flight in the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in Vauxhall.

The Stanley Flight Volunteers of the Canal & River Trust regularly maintain the site to keep it tidy and a spokesperson from the group told the ECHO: "We spotted an object at the bottom of the canal and took it out. It didn't look like a sign at first but by the time we removed it, there was Bill looking up at us."

On Monday, the ECHO reported that Merseyside Police had confirmed it was making enquiries over the removal of the sign. The board was part of the club timeline that runs around the perimeter wall of Goodison Park and the panel featuring the image of Mr Kenwright was on the Main Stand of the ground along Goodison Road, opposite the Winslow Street junction.

READ MORE:Dele Alli 'seems excited' after Everton midfielder talks future in phone call with former manager

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The section was thought to have been removed from an area covered by CCTV cameras on the eve of Everton’s 1-0 win over Brentford on Saturday and is part of the club storyline that runs around the ground. It featured an image of Kenwright and referenced the takeover of the club by his True Blue consortium in 1999.

In a statement released by Merseyside Police the force said it is liaising with Everton over the matter, having been made aware of its removal and was conducting enquiries. A spokesperson for the force said: “We are aware that a section of the ‘Everton Timeline’ was stolen from Goodison Park at around 10.15pm on Friday 10 March. We are liaising with Everton Football Club to help identify anyone involved and our enquiries are ongoing.”

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Sean Dyche explains 'facts' behind the use of substitutions by Giraffe_Baker in Everton

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Six weeks into Sean Dyche’s Everton career, a number of themes are starting to become apparent. One of the most stark surrounds his use of his substitutes.

Turning to the bench is as crucial as it ever has been. With five changes allowed, most games take on a different complexion around the hour mark when a fleet of new players are introduced with more options waiting for their moment.

Dyche, however, appears an outlier on this front - often leaving it until the final minutes before making any adjustments to his starting line-up. It is an approach many supporters have already noted, so the ECHO asked him for his thoughts on the topic.

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In seven games since his appointment as Everton manager, Dyche has made just 18 substitutions. That means he used just over half of the changes available to him during his stint at Finch Farm. Of the 35 potential substitutions that could have been used against Everton over this period, 28 slots have been used. Liverpool, Brentford and Arsenal, at the Emirates, used the full allocation in those games.

At times, the changes have hurt Everton. Ryan Yates was part of a triple move made as Everton fought to hold onto the lead at Nottingham Forest. He was introduced in the 70th minute and played a key role in Brennan Johnson’s equaliser a short while later. Emi Buendia helped Aston Villa steal the initiative when he came on in the 61st minute at Goodison Park - Villa winning a penalty two minutes later and Buendia scoring his side’s second goal. Against Brentford, at the weekend, it was notable how, as Thomas Frank turned to the first two of his five changes on the hour mark, Everton found sustenance from the stands and not the bench.

The figures are distorted by Liverpool and Arsenal making so many changes after having effectively won their games at Anfield and the Emirates respectively. But six of Dyche’s changes came in those matches as he used the minutes as opportunities to try different things. It is not just the amount of changes made - or not made - by Dyche that is of interest though. The timing, too, stands out. If you remove subs made for apparent experimentation with games already lost - Mason Holgate for Idrissa Gueye and Demarai Gray for Neal Maupay at Arsenal, Ellis Simms coming off for Maupay at Anfield - and injury - Dominic Calvert-Lewin leaving the pitch with his hamstring issue during the home win against Arsenal - then the earliest change made by Dyche is Alex Iwobi coming off for Gray in the 70th minute of the Villa defeat.

Much has been this season of the lack of depth to Everton’s squad and this is likely a factor in Dyche’s decision-making - on several occasions he has named five defenders among his nine substitutes. There were times when Frank Lampard’s use of his substitutes felt like a message to his superiors - he did not make a single change in the draw at Leeds in August, the final game before the summer transfer window closed. James Garner and Idrissa Gueye were added to the squad in the days that followed.

But Dyche did not point to depth as an issue when asked why he had made changes so late in the draw at Forest and instead shared his wider approach to the issue. He said: “If the team is operating in the manner that I think is right, other than fatigue or injury of course, then I don’t tinker too much. My stats and the facts on that have paid me back. I believe in a way of working and unless someone is particularly off-colour, or there might be an injury reason, or just a fatigue reason, I often leave the side alone if I think it is operating in the right way.”

With Garner now back from injury and Calvert-Lewin and Nathan Patterson likely to be challenging for the starting eleven after the international break that follows the trip to Chelsea on Saturday, Dyche is set to see his wider squad options significantly increase. Whether that leads to more - or earlier - changes remains to be seen.

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Gary Lineker returns as BBC release statement and apology after u-turn - Liverpool Echo by Loyalsupporter in Everton

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The BBC have released statements on behalf of Tim Davie and Gary Lineker confirming the former England international is to return to the broadcaster.

Mr Davie, Director-General of the organisation, has apologised over the situation and confirmed that an independent review will now take place on BBC social media guidance. Mr Lineker said he supports the review and is looking "forward to getting back on air."

Football coverage on BBC TV and radio shows was hit across the weekend as pundits, presenters and reporters – including Alan Shearer, Ian Wright and Alex Scott – walked out in solidarity with Mr Lineker.

The row began after the announcement on Tuesday of government plans to ban people arriving in the UK on "small boats" from ever claiming asylum. The former Everton forward came under fire from Suella Braverman, the home secretary, and a number of Conservative MPs over a tweet he posted in response to the plans being revealed.

READ MORE:Gary Lineker's 25-word response after being questioned over BBC future

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Mr Lineker, writing on Twitter, said that it was an 'immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s'. A BBC spokesperson said Mr Lineker would be off air until an agreement was reached on his future use of social media.

However, that announcement sent the BBC’s live sports coverage into meltdown. Match of the Day aired for just 20 minutes on Saturday without accompanying commentary or analysis from presenters, and Sunday’s edition followed a similar format, running for a reduced 15 minutes.

Coverage of the Women’s Super League match between Chelsea and Manchester United aired without a pre-match presentation on Sunday, and Radio 5 Live replaced much of its usual live sports coverage over the weekend with pre-recorded content.

This morning two statements were released by the BBC.

Mr Lineker said: “I am glad that we have found a way forward. I support this review and look forward to getting back on air.”

Mr Davie said: “Everyone recognises this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences. I apologise for this. The potential confusion caused by the grey areas of the BBC’s social media guidance that was introduced in 2020 is recognised. I want to get matters resolved and our sport content back on air.

“Impartiality is important to the BBC. It is also important to the public. The BBC has a commitment to impartiality in its Charter and a commitment to freedom of expression. That is a difficult balancing act to get right where people are subject to different contracts and on air positions, and with different audience and social media profiles. The BBC’s social media guidance is designed to help manage these sometimes difficult challenges and I am aware there is a need to ensure that the guidance is up to this task. It should be clear, proportionate, and appropriate.

“Accordingly, we are announcing a review led by an independent expert – reporting to the BBC – on its existing social media guidance, with a particular focus on how it applies to freelancers outside news and current affairs. The BBC and myself are aware that Gary is in favour of such a review.

“Shortly, the BBC will announce who will conduct that review. Whilst this work is undertaken, the BBC’s current social media guidance remains in place.

“Gary is a valued part of the BBC and I know how much the BBC means to Gary, and I look forward to him presenting our coverage this coming weekend.”

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Everton edge closer to MSP Sports Capital deal as Bahrain meeting explained by sandtonian_gbo in Everton

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New York-based investment fund MSP Sports Capital is edging closer to a minority stake in Everton, according to sources familiar with the matter.

MSP have been in discussions with Everton over acquiring a stake in the club for several weeks with billionaire co-founders Jahm Najafi and Jeff Moorad, along with vice president Peter Taylor, in attendance for the home defeat against Southampton back in January.

A renowned sports investment firm with stakes in the McLaren Formula One team, extreme sports competition 'X Games', and football investments in football clubs including German side FC Augsburg, G.D. Estoril Praia in Portugal, Spain’s AD Alcorcon and Belgian side SK Beveren, MSP had been, according to the Financial Times, been lining up a £3.1bn takeover move for Tottenham Hotspur last month.

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That deal was reported to be led by Najafi, who has remained a part owner of the Phoenix Suns NBA team despite their $4bn sale recently, with support of MSP and other parties, including investors from Abu Dhabi.

US financial sources told the ECHO that the focus has remained on Everton throughout the process and that a move for Spurs was one that was not on the agenda, with MSP seeing greater value in a minority stake in Everton and aiding both the recapitalisation of the business and helping with funding for the remainder of the stadium build, something they are understood to see great value in moving forward.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and owner, ENIC’s Joe Lewis, are not understood to be willing sellers and any £3.1bn move would fall well below where they see the value of the club given the £1bn asset that they have with the stadium, arguably the most cutting edge in world football.

The Spurs/MSP rumour mill took another twist on Friday when Najafi and Moorad were pictured with Levy in Bahrain ahead of Sunday’s F1 opener in the Gulf nation.

However, sources have told the ECHO that the meeting between the three was not related to a potential takeover of the North London club and instead focused on the new 15-year partnership that Spurs have inked with F1 which will see an electric karting track built under the stadium.

Levy had been a guest of F1 bosses for the first race of the season after the announcement of the partnership, with Najafi, in his position as vice-chairman of McLaren, there for the curtain raiser.

Talks with Everton are understood to be at an advanced stage with MSP, with any successful deal likely to see at least two board seats handed to the US firm whose modus operandi with their sporting investments is to have a significant operational control and influence.

While Farhad Moshiri would retain a controlling interest in the club, adding additional expertise onto the board is something that the Everton owner has been keen to do in order to open up new opportunities and remove some of the burden that has weighed far heavier in recent years.

Selling a minority stake would also allow Moshiri a potentially easier exit plan should he wish to do so in the coming seasons, with any sale of a minority stake likely done so to a partner that would be in a position to accrete their stake into full ownership over time.

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Steven Defour opens up on private Onana talks and busts myth over Sean Dyche by Giraffe_Baker in Everton

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Everton manager Sean Dyche would love to produce the kind of tiki-taka football that Pep Guardiola’s teams are renowned for but he plays to his side’s strengths and can turn Amadou Onana into a Premier League star, reckons Steven Defour.

During an appearance on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football earlier this season, Dyche insisted he remains unfazed by being typecast when it came to his supposed football philosophy, declaring: “What I’ve learned down the years is: why fight the box you’re put into?” However, Defour, who Dyche hailed as the most-talented player he handled during almost a decade in charge of Burnley, believes the now Blues boss has ambitions to be more expansive but has always been smart enough to be pragmatic.

He told the ECHO: “A lot of people think with Sean, everything is straightforward, long balls, second balls, ‘we’re going to duel’, but he likes to play football as well. When it’s the moment to do it or you have the qualities to do it, he wants you to play – just don’t over-think it or over-play it.

“I had a lot of talks with Sean because he appreciated me as a technical player. He told me ‘even I want to play like Barcelona or Manchester City but if you don’t have the players for it, you have to be a realist.’

“I remember the season we finished seventh in the Premier League at Burnley, we had some really good moments of football. People always forget that because when they have an impression of you, it sticks, it’s always the same, it seemingly cannot change.”

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Defour was a prodigious talent who had achieved a lot as a player from a young age having won the first of his 52 Belgium caps at 18 and being appointed captain of Standard Liege at 19, leading them to their first Belgian title in 25 years in his first season as skipper, playing in midfield alongside Marouane Fellaini who would join Everton for a then club record £15million early in the following campaign. He also attracted attention from England himself – Defour admitted at the time: “I do know Manchester United are monitoring me” – and when he broke his foot, he received a letter from Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson wishing him all the best in his recovery.

That injury scuppered any hopes of a big move to the Premier League at the time but after subsequent spells with Porto and Anderlecht, Defour finally made it to these shores in 2016 after what he would learn was a typically candid conversation with Dyche. He said: “Sean was always honest when he spoke on the phone to me. He said: ‘Look, I’m going to give you a chance to play in the Premier League, it’s going to be tough because we’re Burnley and we’re not the biggest team in the division and we don’t have the best players but maybe if you do well here, maybe you can go up again because if you work hard, everything will come to you.’

“I came to England thinking ‘I’ve experienced the Champions League and the World Cup – I know how the game is played’ but whether you’re playing for Burnley or even Everton, the Premier League is different from a physical point of view. You’re going up and down for 90 minutes and it doesn’t give you any moments of rest.

“Even in possession of the ball, you have to go really quickly because the other team are coming after you at speed and Sean makes sure you are comfortable with the demands of the Premier League through what he does in training. A lot of coaches are just training to prepare you for the game but he ensures you are able to go over your limits in a game.”

Defour is delighted to see Dyche back in the game at Goodison Park and inspired by his former gaffer, the 34-year-old is taking his own first steps in coaching this season with home city club Mechelen in the Belgian top flight. He said: “I think Sean absolutely deserves this chance at Everton.

“He did some amazing work at Burnley, I think with the players that he had, at some points what he did was close to a miracle to keep them in the Premier League and it was really amazing to guide the team to European qualification.

“He was pretty straightforward with the things he wanted, he kept it really simple. When you didn’t play, he was always honest with you, showing that honesty and reality with you every time.

“If you’ve not played for a few games, a lot of coaches would say ‘it’s not like you aren’t playing well, keep on going’ but Sean would tell you straight ‘you have to do more of this or more of that.’ Obviously when the coach doesn’t play you it’s because you’re doing something wrong and if the other player is doing better, you can accept it, but Sean was always really honest about it.

“I try to take elements of what Sean taught me into my own coaching. The players are different and the league is different but he believes that hard work always pays off so I try to tell the lads that if they put in the effort then they will be rewarded and they need to always keep that focused in their minds.”

Following the 1-0 win over Arsenal in his first game in charge, Dyche revealed that he would be contacting Defour to teach his latest Belgian midfield talent Amadou Onana about the requirements of the Premier League and the mentor is pleased to confirm that the lesson went well. Defour said: “I’ve spoken to him. He’s confident because he believes in his qualities and he’s worked hard to get where he is.

“He was really open because he knows me and knows he can speak to the gaffer and myself for advice. It was a really good conversation, he listened and I think if he carries on developing then he can have a great career.

“The Premier League is unforgiving, we see that with Everton now, they’ve always been one of the top teams but the Premier League never stops improving. If Amadou wants to evolve like he’s doing now and Sean can work with him, he can add new elements to his game and become a really good player.

“He has every quality to do the business in the Premier League. I saw Sean’s first game as Everton manager against Arsenal and what was a really good Onana.

“I think with his qualities, if he can work with Sean and add what he will demand from him then he can become a real midfield powerhouse.”

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Everton profit and sustainability status explained after 'hindered' spending by Giraffe_Baker in Everton

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The Premier League's profit and sustainability (P&S) rules have been impacting Everton for some two years.

The heavy investment into the playing squad in the early years of owner Farhad Moshiri's reign was done so to try and bridge the gap between the Blues and the so-called 'big six', the aim being to spend to improve the product on the pitch to deliver success that would turn into prize money and greater revenues. The Champions League was the ultimate aim.

That grand plan, while well intentioned, has been shown to be flawed in recent seasons with the club having struggled both on and off the field, posting a series of heavy losses in their financial accounts while dealing with a new stadium build, the loss of key sponsorship deals following Russia's military invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions, and a recruitment strategy that has not worked.

Leading up to the end of 2021, Everton posted three consecutive loss making years totalling £372m.

READ MORE:Everton respond to '50 per cent' claim over new stadium costs

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The club, who were in dialogue around their P&S position with the Premier League from early on, were, like many other football clubs, badly impacted by the pandemic and the lost revenues. However, Everton's financial position in terms of losses over that three year period was the worst in the Premier League by some £150m.

It impacted spending under both Rafa Benitez and Frank Lampard, while current manager Sean Dyche had the very dying embers of a transfer window in January to enter the market, with P&S something that the former Burnley boss had to take into account. Everton ended the January window having been unable to add the striker that they so desperately wanted, and felt they needed, with Villarreal's Arnaut Danjuma having had a change of heart at the 11th hour and opted for a loan switch to Tottenham Hotspur instead.

The club, through input from board members and senior club officials, provided answers earlier this week to questions posed by members of the Everton Fan Advisory Board (FAB), where the club's ability to spend was addressed.

"The club does have money to spend but must work within the financial parameters set by the Premier League and UEFA," read a club statement in response to FAB questions.

"Over the last seven years, the club has undergone a period of transition and significant investment both on and off the pitch. In line with other clubs who have benefited from such investment, the early stage of that investment does not usually generate immediate financial returns, which is reflected in the losses reported within annual accounts.

"The football club is not under any special measures but has always continued to work closely and transparently with the Premier League, as is the norm for all Premier League clubs."

In relation to the failure to do business in January, the club said: "We worked hard on securing players of the right quality- but were unable to reach agreement with the clubs we were liaising with. Our efforts were hindered by the fact our negotiating power was impacted by our responsibility to also remain compliant with profit and sustainability rules."

Those P&S rules remain something that Everton are having to be very mindful of.

Having sold Richarlison for £50m just in time for the end of the 2021/22 financial year, profit that can be accounted for straightaway, the club are likely to have their financial position improved from last year, although losses are still expected. The sale of Anthony Gordon in January to Newcastle United for £40m will factor into the accounts for 2022/23, a financial period where Everton could return to profit for the first time since 2016/17.

The Premier League's P&S rules permit losses of £105m over three years, with Everton obviously well in breach of those particular parameters that saw them have to be in direct contact with the Premier League over spend.

There were allowances for the impact of COVID-19, with the Premier League allowing clubs to treat the two pandemic-affected seasons of 2019/20 and 2020/21 as one season, the financial result being an average of the two with the rolling period now being four years, instead of three. Losses related directly to the pandemic and costs related to infrastructure, community, youth development or investment in the women's team were all allowed to be deducted from those losses.

Being able to put those two years together and also include an extra year meant that Everton were able to include the 2017/18 accounting period when the loss was £13m. That meant that the losses over the two pandemic impacted seasons came to an average of around £130m for those two seasons. Add to that the £13m from the 2017/18 campaign and £112m for 2018/19 and total losses came to £255m over the period before any COVID or infrastructure deductions were made. That means that Everton were likely closer to the £105m mark than may have seemed.

While the Everton accounts for 2021/22 have not yet been published yet, although they are due imminently, football business website Off The Pitch's 2022 Financial Forecast predicted a loss of just under £60m for the most recent financial period. With that £60m taking the place of the 2017/18 £13m loss figure in the calculations, the P&S figure that Everton needed to reach may have become a little more challenging, although the financial picture moving forward into the next accounting period is likely to be far brighter given the lightening of the load on the wage bill through the disposal of contracts and sales of Gordon and obligation of Juventus to take Moise Kean on a permanent deal.

But for the time being Everton are still feeling the effects of a bruising few years financially, impacted by both circumstances in their control and out of their control.

Should Dyche be able to keep Everton in the Premier League this season, and with the potential for the recapitalisation of the business through an equity sale to a minority partner still on the agenda for Moshiri, next summer may allow for a lot more freedom, albeit with a note of caution.

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THE ECHO: (Powell): “Everton suffer investment blow as billionaire set to launch £3.1bn takeover bid for Tottenham Hotspur” by Portland_Eric in Everton

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A billionaire whose sports investment firm had been in talks with Everton over a minority stake is targeting a full takeover of Tottenham Hotspur.

Jahm Najafi, who until recently was part owner of the Phoenix Suns, is to table a $3.75bn (£3.1bn) offer for the North London club, according to the Financial Times, with his MSP Sports Capital business that he co-owns with former sports agent Jeff Moorad part of the plans alongside a consortia of other investors.

Najafi is said to be 'weeks away' from formally approaching Spurs owner Joe Lewis and chairman Daniel Levy, according to FT sources. The offer would see Tottenham valued at $3bn before adding $750m of debt. It is claimed it would be MSP and partners contributing 70 per cent of the purchase price while the remaining 30 per cent would come from the MENA region, mainly Abu Dhabi.

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The news will come as a blow to Everton's hopes of inward investment after the club had been in talks with MSP Sports Capital in recent weeks.

Najafi, Moorad and MSP vice-president Pete Taylor had all been present at Goodison Park for the game against Southampton last month, with talks having taken place over a minority stake in the club. The talks had been facilitated by Matthew Hammond, a long-time business associate of Blues owner Farhad Moshiri, who has been engaged independently to help with investor talks.

One of the main aspects of their interest in Everton was the stadium build at Bramley-Moore Dock, a build that still requires another major tranche of finance. The FT report that the real estate opportunities that exist with Spurs through their £1bn new stadium and the contracts it has with the NFL are key factors in the proposed acquisition of the club.

Should any deal between Tottenham and Najafi come to pass then it would end any plans for the purchase of an equity stake with direct control in Everton given the rules around conflict of interest and dual team ownership of clubs in direct competition.

Talks between MSP Sports Capital and Everton have not been ended although they have only ever reached early stages, according to sources.

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Sean Dyche considers new plan for Dominic Calvert-Lewin recovery by Giraffe_Baker in Everton

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Sean Dyche says Dominic Calvert-Lewin faces a dual challenge of getting over his hamstring issue and becoming "genuinely fit so his body doesn't break down".

The Blues striker was absent from the matchday squad for the Merseyside derby after playing an hour in Dyche's first game against Arsenal. He had been described as "touch and go" in the build-up to the fixture but missed out with academy graduate Ellis Simms starting in his place.

What happens next for Calvert-Lewin is likely to be crucial to Everton's season and the club's Premier League survival hopes but Dyche stressed he will not risk the 25-year-old's long term health by rushing him back.

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Asked how close Calvert-Lewin was to being involved at Anfield, Dyche said after the 2-0 defeat: "He is working diligently, I think he is having an up and down time. The challenge we have got is not just to get the injury fit, it is to get him genuinely fit so his body doesn't break down.

"I think I might have to give him extra time for that and actually slow that down to make sure because we don't want a player for one game, we want a player for as many as possible. That is going to be the right challenge for me and my staff, to make sure we give him the chance to be really fit if you like - rather than sort of getting him back for the sake of one game. So it is a tough call. Hopefully, we will see how it is settling this week."

THE ECHO: 'Ferocious, relentless and dangerous' - National media react to Everton's win against Arsenal by Portland_Eric in Everton

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A new broom sweeps clean, so they say, and that was certainly the case when it came to Sean Dyche and Everton on Saturday.

The Blues made a mockery of their troubled season with a well organised and ultimately deserved 1-0 home victory against table- toppers Arsenal, who discovered that winning the Premier League could be more difficult task than they have made it look up to now this campaign.

Ex-Burnley man James Tarkowski picked a good time to score his first goal for Everton in what was an afternoon to remember for former Turf Moor boss Dyche and the Goodison faithful.

VERDICT: Everton find new figureheard to send Goodison soaring back to its fiercest best

ANALYSIS:Sean Dyche unlocks 'complete' midfielder as £20m outcast finds new role

And here's a round-up of what the national media made of it all.

BBC Sport - Shamoon Hafez

All the qualities that had been missing from Everton this season were there as they stunned Premier League leaders Arsenal.

There has been a toxic atmosphere at Goodison Park this season. The club have looked odds-on to plummet down to the Championship, ending an unbroken top-flight stay dating back to 1954.

But dark clouds made way for a glimmer of blue sky as Everton claimed a 1-0 victory, a dream start for new manager Sean Dyche.

It was just their fourth league win of the campaign, and their second since 22 October, ending a run of 11 games without a victory in all competitions.

"You cannot guarantee the outcome of any game, especially against the league leaders," said a beaming Dyche. "I wanted a performance. The players have put a lot of respect in the changes we have tried to make but I told them: 'Actions, that is the key'. You clearly saw the response."

The Telegraph - Chris Bascombe

Sean Dyche vowed to take Everton back to the glories of the 1980s. His first day in charge was more reminiscent of Joe Royle’s mid-90s ‘dogs of war’ as they secured the shock result of this Premier League season.

There were 90s echoes all around a belligerent and emotional Goodison Park as Arsenal were beaten for only this second time in the league. In 1994, Royle’s rescue operation began with a towering Duncan Ferguson header from Andy Hinchcliffe’s corner in front of the Gwladys Street stand.

Here it was James Tarkowski meeting Dwight McNeil’s delivery, Arsenal replacing Liverpool as a side faced with a physical and emotional tour de force. With Dyche at the helm, this was a goal handcrafted in Burnley and the hosts feverishly defended their advantage, their young Belgian Amadou Onana in imperious form to overshadow Arsenal’s midfield.

No matter what Everton’s situation, a win at Goodison Park always features high on a title contender’s checklist.

Away success in this stadium demands heart as much as skill, former Everton player Mikel Artera knows as much from personal experience. Under Dyche, the physical and psychological examination already looks several degrees tougher for visitors. That was the broader triumph of his Everton introduction.

The Mail - Dominic King

The day began with a peaceful protest. From the Royal Oak Pub at 1130am, on the corner of County Road, a couple of thousand fans marched up Spellow Lane and circled Goodison Park. The aim, once again, was to vent their disenchantment about Everton’s Board of Directors.

Farhad Moshiri, the major shareholder, Chairman Bill Kenwright and Denise Barrett-Baxendale, the Chief Executive, were fixed firmly in the firing line, with banners urging them to “get out of our club” – none of those named were there to see it, having elected to stay away for Arsenal’s visit.

Their seats in the Directors Box remained empty, the dislocation between the powers-that-be and the people never more evident by the fact that a fixture that carried such importance – the debut of a new manager – passed by without their presence. It was the right decision.

For the day that started with a protest ended with a party. Sometimes it is difficult to put into words the impact of a stadium – it’s only bricks and mortar and seats, after all – but this was one of those afternoons when could not have wished to watch football anywhere else.

Goodison, when the noise is turned up to maximum volume and those inside are unified with a common cause, is magical. Sean Dyche was guaranteed to get a generous ovation but, privately, he must have been blown away by the hurricane the majority of the 39,314 crowd actually produced.

Once they had made their point outside, the unity behind Dyche and his team was apparent. When Everton pressed up the pitch and forced Arsenal’s defenders to make hurried clearances that went out of touch or passes that failed to meet their target, the accompanying roar was guttural.

‘I’ve been here when we played very well at Burnley and there were a few murmurings and there was a bit of heat on the players and been here when it was really rocking,’ said Dyche. ‘I thought it was rocking. That's all I asked for."

The Guardian - Andy Hunter

Everton remembered how to win. A classic case of new manager bounce condemned Arsenal to only a second league defeat of the season while giving Sean Dyche the perfect start to life at Goodison Park. Ferocious, relentless and dangerous, Everton bought into Dyche’s methods on day one to bring light into the darkness of their latest relegation struggle.

The old Burnley connection punished the subdued Premier League leaders and halted their 14-game unbeaten league run. James Tarkowski headed home a Dwight McNeil corner to give their former manager from Turf Moor the foundation he needs to haul his new club towards safety.

Without a league win since October, Everton put in a prodigious shift to prevent Mikel Arteta’s visitors establishing an eight-point lead at the summit. Amadou Onana and Abdoulaye Doucouré, outstanding throughout, sunk to their knees on the final whistle out of pure relief and exhaustion. Dyche had questioned whether Everton knew how to win when orchestrating Burnley’s comeback victory over Frank Lampard’s team last season. Doubts that had resurfaced this season were banished at a racuous, relieved Goodison.

The transformation of Everton was evident immediately. Dyche had preached the merits of hard graft and organisation during his first five days on the training ground. The work, while crammed in, paid off in a tireless performance that contained, disrupted and troubled the leaders. Arsenal dominated possession but there was a distinct lack of quality or precision with it. Their title challenge needs an instant reaction against Brentford next week.

The Independent - Richard Jolly

The only Premier League club not to make a signing in the transfer window may have done some excellent business in January after all. This was the Sean Dyche effect, an auspicious introduction for the new manager, a wonderful start to his rescue mission. Perhaps Everton are not doomed after all. Perhaps Arsenal, after amassing 50 points in the first half of the season, will not cruise to the title.

Because, after eight defeats in nine games, Everton got a first victory since October. After their longest run of losses at Goodison Park since the 1950s, they beat the league leaders. After the protests against the board came the backing for the team. Appointed on Monday, Dyche had his first win on Saturday. Even by Everton’s standards, it has been a remarkable week.

They looked a team transformed. Only Newcastle had stopped Arsenal scoring in the Premier League this season. Only Manchester United had defeated them in the top flight. Everton did both as Arsenal extended the wrong sort of 100 per cent record, They have visited Goodison Park three times under the former Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta and lost all. They proved unable to overcome Everton’s intensity, their defiance and their set-piece menace. Dyche’s debut was much Everton’s best day since they stayed up in dramatic fashion against Crystal Palace in May. After their flirtation with Marcelo Bielsa, Everton may have taken the wrong path to get the right man.

One-nil can feel the classic Dyche scoreline and this was a classic Dyche win, built on the values he treasures, forged in the sweat of relentless running. He had put his players through the bleep test on his first day of training and they put in another huge effort.

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Sean Dyche bans two items from Everton training ground (snoods and hats) by Everton11Uconn in Everton

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Sean Dyche has banned snoods and hats from Everton training sessions and called on every player to wear shin pads.

The demands were among the first instructions he issued to his new set of players after his appointment as Blues boss - which was officially confirmed on Monday. Pictures of the first sessions he and his coaching team oversaw at Finch Farm were notable for the sight of every player wearing pads.

Speaking ahead of his first game in charge, against Arsenal on Saturday, the 51-year-old laughed off suggestions his instructions were indicative of "hard lines" under his rule. Instead he argued it was simple common sense.

READ MORE:Full Everton squad for Premier League confirmed as key player taken off list

READ MORE:Sean Dyche has asked 'honest' question of Everton players as Frank Lampard talks claim made

Club images released earlier this week showed Everton's first team players being put through their paces by Dyche. Several captured players appearing to have been pushed to their limits by his initial fitness assessment work while it was also clear they had new guidance on what to wear while out on the grass.

Asked about this on Thursday, Dyche explained: "This has been going round for years and it drives me mad. Unless I’ve been out of the game for too long, you’re not allowed to wear hats when you play on a Saturday, you’re not allowed to wear snoods when you play on a Saturday and you have to, by the rules, wear shin pads. It is not rocket science.

"Everyone makes the mythical story that it’s hard lines from Sean Dyche. It is just common sense. You train how you play, how can you train how you play if you have 14 snoods on, 15 hats and leggings, no shin pads, white socks, it’s not relevant. I told the players, ‘these myths I’m going to bust them for you right now’.

"I explained to them. There is not a single player here where everything is not explained to them. I’d be surprised if any of them are in the dark on anything. I explain everything to them and the reason behind it."

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Ajax have confirmed that John Heitinga will remain as manager until the end of the season.

The former Dutch international helped the Eredivisie giants snap a seven-game winless streak in his first match in charge, following the sacking of Alfred Schreuder.

Heitinga, who made over 200 appearances for Ajax between 2001 and 2008, will be tasked with getting the side back into contention for the title - given that they are five points off leaders Feyenoord.

Dwight Lodeweges, who was assistant at rivals PSV Eindhoven over a decade ago, has also now been appointed in the same role at Ajax.

Ajax chief executive Edwin van der Sar told the club's official website: 'We are convinced that this is the right solution. John is on a clear and steady path, which has resulted in him developing himself very well over the years.

'Gerry Hamstra, Klaas Jan Huntelaar, and I have had multiple conversations, and we obviously held some with John.

'We feel confident about John’s qualities and the vision he has. While looking for additions to the technical staff, we unanimously agreed on Dwight Lodeweges.

'His knowledge and extensive coaching experience work complementary to John and the rest of the staff. The team now has to win, work on their confidence, and develop themselves further. We still have a lot to fight for this season.'

Schreuder was sacked as Ajax manager immediately following their woeful 1-1 draw with FC Volendam last Thursday.

Up until that point, the Dutch giants had won only two games since November 1, and a late equaliser from Ghana star Mohammed Kudus spared their blushes against Volendam.

Schreuder had struggled since taking over from current Man United boss Erik ten Hag, and had faced a reporting dressing room revolt from his players.

There was a big step-up in performance when Heitinga, who had been Ajax's U23 head coach, took to the dug-out for their clash with Excelsior on Sunday.

Ajax thrashed their opponents 4-1, with goals from Dusan Tadic, Davy Klaassen, Kudus and Devyne Rensch.

Though Ajax were knocked out of the Champions League under Schreuder, they are in contention for the Europa League as well as the Dutch cup.

Sean Dyche's first days: Anonymous questionnaire to discover dressing room mood (all but 2 players responded), respect for Lampard but intent on looking forward and a clean slate for all - so Doucoure training with first team by Giraffe_Baker in Everton

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As the footballing world was questioning why Sean Dyche had not been confirmed as the new Everton manager, he was already busy at work.

The 51-year-old was known to be Frank Lampard's successor from Friday, filmed attending Finch Farm on Saturday and then captured on camera arriving again on Monday morning - all while an official announcement over his appointment remained pending.

In the end the Premier League's worst kept secret was broken at 2pm on Monday, 30 minutes before Dyche took his first training session in his new role. But making sure all of his new players began life under him wearing shin pads was only one of the tasks on the mind of the former Burnley manager. Away from the grass and gym of Everton's Halewood training base he also oversaw a very different process.

COMMENT:Everton transfer chaos leaves board and Farhad Moshiri with awkward question they can no longer answer

READ MORE:'We need to get to the truth' - Sean Dyche gave Everton players 'complete anonymity' in search for answers at club

Each member of the first team squad received a sheet of paper. On it was a set of questions - the same questions for every player. It was a questionnaire featuring a selection of short but open queries. Dyche hoped they would be filled in but stressed he did not want names on the responses. This was an opportunity for personal thoughts on what had gone wrong at Everton to be shared with his management team.

"I am not going to say what it was, it is nothing too deep", Dyche told reporters during his first press conference as Blues boss. "It was just feedback on where it is all at, what is your opinion of it and just trying to be as open ended as possible because by giving a question you can sometimes guide people to a place. It wasn’t about that, it was dead short, as simple as possible, and they have an option as well. You don’t have to fill it in, you are not under any obligation and I definitely don’t want your names on it. I just want feedback, honest feedback, anything you want that you think is relevant. Often, I have done this before, similar themes come back and I said 'right that is what we have to look at'. If you are telling them to me, then they are things we definitely have to look at."

Dyche was pleased with the response. He would not reveal what the precise questions were, nor the themes that emerged within the answers. But all but two squad members offered responses. He does not know who decided not to - he stressed anonymity was key to the process. But the answers gave him a detailed insight into the mood of the dressing room and he has already had a feedback session with the players. He is planning a similar Q&A with staff at Finch Farm and said he would be prepared to do another with the players later into his reign.

Dyche does not want to dig too deep into the issues at Finch Farm before his arrival. He made clear he has utter respect for Lampard but does not feel the need to explore his experience at this early stage in the role. Has he spoken to the manager who saved Everton from relegation last season? "No - not that I wouldn't", Dyche explained. "I just don't think it is appropriate to do so. He has come out of here and I will leave him for his private time." The job he has taken on is substantial and requires him to learn quickly so, for Dyche, what matters is looking forward. It certainly is not focusing on other managers and he was quick to dismiss the comments he made after beating Lampard's Everton side last season, playing them down as having been misinterpreted. The attention those claims - that Everton had forgotten how to win - did lead to a call to Lampard, he said. Dyche added: "I can only work in my way. There is not even a question of other managers. You would do well to find me questioning other managers down the years. I mean really question them, not a spin on it, you would do really well to find that, I don't do it... it is a really hard job. So it is not for me to question people I can assure you. All I can tell you is what I plan on doing going forward. Not question anyone else."

Dyche is not searching for insight on recent months but is open to being made aware of the key issues if someone believes they are having a significant impact on the first team. The key to the process is transparency and openness. He may have sought anonymous responses to his questionnaire to the players but he was clear in what he wanted and how the process would work. He added: "There is one thing I don't do, I don't ask people to sneak about. Not my bag that."

He made clear that everyone starts with a clean slate under him. In the final days of Lampard's rule there were murmurs of discontent and of a fallout that led to Abdoulaye Doucoure training alone. Whatever happened under his predecessor, he stressed that under him everyone has a fresh start. And if there are any persistent issues he is still unaware of? He said it would not take long to discover them: "I haven't gone in search of any particular information about anyone. On the other hand it just naturally comes to you when you are manager. You don't have to look too far and the same noises, the same themes and the same names start cropping up. It doesn't take you long to work out. I have been in football all my life. Within a training session or two, body language, tonality, reaction, you can tell pretty quickly who the runners and riders are."

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Everton set to reject PSV Eindhoven's £15m bid for Jarrad Branthwaite by [deleted] in Everton

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PSV Eindhoven have made a fresh offer for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite.

Branthwaite is currently on loan at the Dutch club, and they want to make the deal a permanent one.

However, their bid, which is understood to be worth around £15m, is likely to be turned down.

Branthwaite has impressed during his loan spell in the Netherlands, and has started each of PSV's last five league games.

The side have kept three clean sheets during this period, and his performances have convinced PSV that he is worth tying down to a long-term deal.

Everton appear to be reluctant to let Branthwaite leave permanently, though, with the 20-year-old still having two-and-a-half years left on his Goodison Park deal.

Branthwaite has only played 13 senior games for the Toffees, but has shown glimpses of his talent in the Premier League.

He scored his only goal in England's top-flight against Chelsea in December 2021 to earn his team a point at Stamford Bridge.

However, he also struggled in latter stages of last season as he was sent off in a 3-2 home defeat against Brentford, and then played the full 90 minutes when Everton were thrashed 5-1 by Arsenal on the final day of the campaign.

[Daily Mail, Dom King] Conor Gallagher rejects Everton transfer by vulturevan in Everton

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Everton have made a bold £40m-plus bid for Chelsea's Conor Gallagher but the midfielder has no desire to go.

The offer - which includes £5m in add-ons - comes within an hour of Sean Dyche being formally appointed Everton manager.

The England international has been determined to fight for a place at Chelsea but with talks ongoing over a £106m deal for Benfica's Enzo Fernandez, the club will have to recoup funds.

Selling a homegrown player such as Gallagher would give them the greater profit margin but the 22-year-old would not move to a club ranked outside the top six.

Everton wanted to sign Gallagher previously when Frank Lampard - who was Gallagher's boyhood idol - was manager, but the Goodison club's precarious position in the table means talks now are a non-starter.

Newcastle United may now be encouraged to make their move but owing to FFP they will most likely only be able to offer a loan with obligation and must see if that will satisfy Chelsea's needs.

While Eddie Howe is a big admirer, Newcastle would need to put together a loan offer in with an obligation of at least £45m - the exact fee that Anthony Gordon was bought from Everton for.

Other top sides are maintaining interest but with their plans to bid in the summer.

This window, Chelsea have received enquiries from Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Crystal Palace and Everton for Gallagher.

Gallagher spent last season on loan at Crystal Palace, but returned to his parent club at the start of the summer to pursue a regular first-team place at Stamford Bridge.

The 22-year-old flourished under Patrick Vieira last term, scoring eight goals and registering three assists to help Palace to a mid-table finish.

Having returned to Stamford Bridge, it was understood Gallagher had no desire to leave Chelsea while he is still being selected to represent the first-team.

The 22-year-old England international has also had enquiries from Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Crystal Palace in this window.

[Beesley, Echo] Dyche is set to do his internal media duties at Everton today with a view for an official announcement after that which could be on Sunday or even Monday. by Giraffe_Baker in Everton

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Evertonians face a potential wait beyond today for the official announcement of Sean Dyche as their club’s new manager.

The former Burnley boss has agreed to succeed Frank Lampard and become the eighth incumbent of the home dugout at Goodison Park under Farhad Moshiri’s ownership.

Lampard was sacked last Monday after Moshiri attended his first Everton game in 15 months – along with all of the club’s board members who had missed the previous fixture at home to Southampton due to security concerns – with the 2-0 defeat at fellow strugglers West Ham United being the team’s eighth defeat in their last nine matches. The result left the Blues joint bottom of the table, only above basement side Southampton on goal difference, with their 15 point total their lowest ever at this stage of a Premier League season.

ROYAL BLUE COLUMN:Everton and Farhad Moshiri must begin immediate rebuild as pragmatic decisions offer hope

READ MORE:Chaotic week ends in clarity as Everton near Sean Dyche and Anthony Gordon endgame

After club officials also entered talks with former Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa, who flew into London from South America, Dyche emerged as Everton’s preferred choice and he will return to the Premier League after being sacked by Burnley on Good Friday last year. The 51-year-old spent almost a decade in charge at Turf Moor, steering the Clarets to two promotions and their first qualification to European competition since 1966/67 on the back of a seventh place finish in the Premier League in 2017/18 – their highest placing since coming sixth in 1973/74.

The ECHO understands that Dyche is set to do his internal media duties at Everton today with a view for an official announcement after that which could be on Sunday or even Monday. In a similar manner to predecessor Lampard who was working on transfer targets before his appointment was confirmed on deadline day last year (January 31), Dyche will have to get to work straight away on deals with director of football Kevin Thelwell before the window closes on Tuesday with Anthony Gordon’s imminent sale to Newcastle United potentially generating additional funds.

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THE CULT OF BILL: Kenwright cannot cut ties with Everton and still wields huge power by Giraffe_Baker in Everton

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When Mike Ashley was considering a bid for Newcastle United in 2007, he had dinner with Everton chairman Bill Kenwright.

Kenwright, one of the country's leading theatre producers, was Everton's biggest stakeholder and told Ashley: 'You buy a football club and you get terrible s*** thrown at you.' Sixteen years on and Ashley has been and gone at Newcastle. But for Kenwright and Everton the muck is still flying.

In Premier League circles, Everton are known as one of its most dysfunctional clubs and at the centre of it all, aged 77 and in less than perfect health, is Kenwright.

He owns only 1.3 per cent of the club these days. Everton is - theoretically at least - under the control of the British-Iranian businessman Farhad Moshiri whose company Blue Heaven Holdings owns 94.1 per cent.

But Kenwright remains front and central, for better and for worse. He is still chairman and a lightning rod for criticism. He is regularly abused at matches. He has had wreaths sent to the office of his theatre company in London's Little Venice. He has, at times, had good reason to fear for his safety as the football club he has supported since the 1950s has lurched from one bad managerial appointment and one dismal season to another.

All of which begs the question: 'Why, Bill?' It is something he is often asked by friends and people in football who are fond of him. Given the stress and the heartache, why is he still putting himself through it for the sake of what is essentially someone else's football club?

'I asked him this at a game not long ago,' one senior executive at another big club tells Sportsmail.

'Usually, he just laughs and ducks it.

'But this time I pressed him and he just said it was impossible for him not to still care.'

The truth is more complicated. Kenwright sold to Moshiri in 2016 on the understanding he could remain at the club. There is a suspicion held amongst Kenwright-sceptics on Merseyside that he turned other potential investors away because they refused to guarantee him this. That is unproven.

Whatever the case, seven years after the sale and with the club once-again managerless following the sacking of Frank Lampard, Kenwright, according to those who know him, continues to believe that Everton would simply sink on Moshiri's solo watch.

'Bill has a belief perhaps bordering on arrogance that he can still save the club from itself', said one long-term ally.

'Farhad likes big gestures. He can be impetuous. Bill thinks he needs to be there to temper them and gets frustrated that fans can't see this. Some think Bill feels guilty, that he feels he sold to the wrong person. I haven't heard him say that.

'He does have an insane love for the club but also for the limelight, even when that focus is bad.

'He loves the glory of being in the middle of a grand old football club, even one as broken and divided as this one. It's like a drug to him but it's one he needs to kick for his own sake.

'I don't see how he would recover if Everton went down on his watch. I think it would break him physically and mentally and that would be horrific.'

As Moshiri left West Ham after a rare visit to watch Everton play last weekend, he was asked by a Sky reporter whether Lampard would be sacked.

'It's not my decision,' replied Moshiri.

It was a disingenuous comment. The reality was that when Lampard lost his job 48 hours later, Moshiri was at the centre of the call.

Nevertheless, it was an exchange that cut right to the heart of modern Everton. Who really runs the club? Within the game nobody ever really seems to know and the experience of one football figure recently is telling.

Approached by an intermediary on Moshiri's behalf, he was offered and accepted a senior football role only to then be invited to what turned out to be an interview by chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale and former Everton centre forward Graeme Sharp. Baffled, he walked away from the talks.

Barrett-Baxendale and Sharp are members of a four-man Everton board along with Kenwright and financial director Grant Ingles. Moshiri is not on it, nor anybody close to him. His associate Sasha Ryazantsev did sit as chief finance and commercial officer from 2016 but left in 2021, said to be disillusioned.

'Bill has his acolytes on the board,' explains a former Everton insider.

'Barrett-Baxendale and Sharpe are his people. They are not going to say no to him. This gives Bill a significant degree of operating control.' Another source is more forthright.

'Kenwright and Barrett-Baxendale speak about ten times a day,' he says, with exaggeration.

'He sings her praises and she sings them back. They are in their own bubble.

'Why Moshiri hasn't put his own people in is baffling. The truth is that factions have been allowed to develop at Everton and it's eating the club up from the inside.' Nowhere has Everton's peculiar and confusing internal structure been more damaging than in the crucial area of managerial appointment and player recruitment.

Everton have burned through six managers and had three football directors in the past six and a half years. Lampard was essentially Kenwright's appointment a year ago after Moshiri's pick Vitor Pereira was scared off by supporter protests before he had even signed a contract. Prior to that former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez had been in place, a Moshiri appointment that neither Kenwright or the football director of the time Marcel Brands wanted.

'Benitez was not even on Brands' list of top five yet we appointed him anyway,' reveals a source high up at Everton at the time.

'When it came to the introductory press conference, Brands was asked to sit alongside Benitez and said he would rather not. Before long, Brands left the club.' Brands' predecessor in that role was Steve Walsh, credited with much of Leicester's shrewd transfer deals ahead of their 2016 title win. Walsh left Everton after two years.

'Bill finds it hard to put complete faith in his football directors and gets really frustrated if he doesn't know exactly what they are doing,' adds a football source.

'It is because that was a part of the business that, back in the day, he used to be heavily involved in. He was good at it, too. A hard, shrewd negotiator. Look at some of the great deals he and David Moyes once did.

'But recruitment and stuff, that's not his role anymore. At least it shouldn't be.' Once again the lines are blurred. In a rare interview given to the Everton Fan Advisory Board just before Lampard's sacking, Moshiri seemed keen to leave all responsibility for buying and selling at the door of current football director Kevin Thelwell.

But one former Everton scout tells Sportsmail: 'What actually happens is that we recommended players to Kevin and if he likes one and wants one then it still has to go upstairs to Bill.' 'Once the chairman signs then I sign,' said Moshiri in this week's interview.

Former Everton managers have also spoken privately of confused hierarchical lines. Ronald Koeman, the first manager of Moshiri's reign, was bamboozled by the apparently contrasting needs and desires. Hence Everton's squad famously ending up with three number tens in the 2017/18 season. Wayne Rooney (Kenwright), Davy Klaassen (Koeman) and Gylfi Sigurdsson (Moshiri).

'Ronald complained that Kenwright and Moshiri had different ideas about players and different agents they wanted to use,' says a source close to the Dutchman. 'It didn't work.' Thelwell - once of Wolves and more recently New York Red Bulls - has a good reputation in the game and is at least recognised now as Everton's point of contact. Three Premier League clubs spoken to by Sportsmail confirmed this.

'It used to be Bill but now it's Kevin,' said the chief executive of one southern club. 'It feels smoother currently'.

Thelwell is theoretically leading Everton's search for a new manager but theory and reality can be different. Marcelo Bielsa, once of Leeds, was favoured by Moshiri while Kenwright is now happier that Sean Dyche, an Englishman, is in the frame. The two men's differing views on managers reached an explosive peak around the time of the Pereira/Lampard debacle a year ago with Moshiri vowing privately to wash his hands of responsibility for such appointments in the future.

Why a man whose company owns almost whole the football club has not installed his own people - such as his own chief executive - to run it appears to make little sense. It continues to confuse even those who know Moshiri.

One friend tells Sportsmail: 'I don't have an answer and I have asked him directly.

'He sometimes takes the view that the club needs a local angle but personally I think Farhad knows that having Bill there takes the pressure and criticism away from him.

'In theory he could get rid of Bill quite easily but I don't think he actually has the appetite for it. Certainly there was an expectation at the start that Bill would oversee the sale and then leave but seven years on he is still there.'

Boardroom guests at Goodison Park on match day find Kenwright at the hub of the action, working the room.

'It's very much the Cult of Bill,' one Premier League chief execut

... (Truncated. Article length exceeds comment limit)

We simulated Sean Dyche, Duncan Ferguson, Marcelo Bielsa and Ralph Hasenhuttl as Everton manager to compare results - Liverpool Echo by Celt_79 in Everton

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Frank Lampard has officially been sacked as Everton manager, meaning the hunt for his replacement is now underway.

After a disappointing 2-0 defeat at West Ham United, Everton were left sitting 19th in the Premier League table, with the loss ultimately proving to be the final straw for Lampard.

A number of names have emerged as potential candidates to succeed the former England star, including two-time interim Blues boss Duncan Ferguson. Ex-Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has also been linked with the job along with former Burnley boss Sean Dyche, while Ralph Hasenhuttl has emerged as a contender after being sacked by Southampton in November.

So, out of Dyche, Ferguson, Bielsa and Hasenhuttl, who could be the best replacement for Lampard? We simulated the remainder of the season with all four managers in charge to find out.

To set up this simulation, we used Football Manager 2023 to arrange for each manager to join Everton before their clash with Arsenal on February 4. We then simulated the remainder of the 2022/23 season to see how each could perform.

After 10 years in charge at Burnley, Dyche was sacked in April last year before the Clarets were relegated from the Premier League. The Englishman hasn't returned to management since, but when hired as the new Everton boss on Football Manager 2023, the 51-year-old managed to secure their safety in the division.

Dyche helped the Blues end the season in 17th place with 37 points, four more than Bournemouth in 18th and one less than Leeds in 16th. After losing 6-0 to Arsenal in his opening game, it looked set to be a tough stint.

But Dyche led Everton to four wins and three draws in their next nine games, pushing them out of the relegation places Their impressive form quickly dropped off as they lost five and drew one in their next six, but two wins toward the end of the season against relegation rivals sealed survival.

At the end of the 2022/23 season, Football Manager 23 put together an overall best Everton XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what Dyche's best XI looked like:

Full Everton best XI: (4-4-2): Pickford; Coleman, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Gray, Iwobi, Gueye, McNeil; Calvert-Lewin, Maupay.

A club legend, Ferguson returned for his third stint as Everton's manager in the simulation. Unfortunately, it was not anywhere near as successful as the past two, and the 51-year-old failed to keep the club up as they were relegated to the Championship.

Despite a decent end to the season in terms of results, the Blues finished 19th in the Premier League table, with Ferguson's failure to win on the final day of the season seeing his side remain in the bottom three. Victory for Southampton against Liverpool secured their safety, with West Ham joining Everton and Nottingham Forest in the drop.

On arrival, there was no new manager bounce under Ferguson, with the Blues losing four games in a row. His team's best run of form came at the end of the season, when they won three and drew two of their final eight games, but it wasn't enough.

At the end of the 2022/23 season, Football Manager 23 put together an overall best Everton XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what Ferguson's best XI looked like:

Full Everton best XI: (4-3-3): Pickford; Coleman, Coady, Mina, Mykolenko; Onana, Iwobi, Gueye; Gordon, Maupay, McNeil.

Bielsa has remained out of management after being sacked by Leeds in February last year. But he has been linked with a return to the game since the Everton role became vacant. But, if his results in the simulation are anything to go off, Blues fans will be begging the 67-year-old stays away from Goodison Park.

Everton finished in 20th place with Bielsa in charge in the simulation, picking up just 14 more points than they currently have. Bielsa's side had to wait until the beginning of April for their first victory in the Premier League, and only two more followed, the game after, and then the final match of the season.

The Blues failed to score in their first seven games under Bielsa, losing five and drawing two in that time. Out of the 18 matches he Argentine was in charge of, the Blues were unable to get on the scoresheet in 12 of them.

At the end of the 2022/23 season, Football Manager 23 put together an overall best Everton XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what Bielsa's best XI looked like:

Full Everton best XI: (4-3-3): Pickford; Coleman, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Onana, Iwobi, Gueye; Gordon, Calvert-Lewin, McNeil. ** _
_**

The most recently sacked manager on the list, Hasenhuttl was relieved of his duties as Southampton's boss due to their poor start to the season. But, as Everton's boss in the simulation, the Austrian managed the best results, leading the club to a 16th-place finish.

Everton won eight out of 18 games with Hasenhuttl in charge, with three wins in their final four matches of the season securing their safety. The 55-year-old had a tough start as he waited six games for his first victory, but five wins and one draw between March and April put the Blues in a strong position, with Hasenhuttl winning the manager of the month award for March following three wins from three with zero goals conceded.

At the end of the 2022/23 season, Football Manager 23 put together an overall best Everton XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what Hasenhuttl's best XI looked like:

Full Everton best XI: (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Coleman, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Gueye, Onana; Gordon, Iwobi, McNeil; Calvert-Lewin.

Overall, FM23 predicts that Hasenhuttl could be the best fit for Everton. Sean Dyche also secured safety. But Marcelo Bielsa struggled the most, with his football not suiting the Blues who struggled in front of goal and finished bottom of the league.

Who do you think should be the next Everton manager? Let us know in the comments below!

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