Our Everton jury have returned to have their say on what is going on at Goodison Park
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The South Stand of Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock
The South Stand of Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock(Image: Tony McArdle/Everton FC Official Photography Library/SmartFrame)
Everton might have been without a game this weekend - but supporters were treated to the club’s second test even at Bramley-Moore Dock. Around 25,000 fans were lucky enough to be in attendance to watch Paul Tait's under-21 side beat Bolton Wanderers 1-0.
Off the pitch, Jarrad Branthwaite has also been linked with a move to Manchester United after it was claimed that he was overlooked by Thomas Tuchel for his first England squad because he lacks European football experience.
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The Blues return to Premier League action on Wednesday night when they take on Liverpool at Anfield. And with everything that has happened this week in mind, our Everton jury have returned to have their say.
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Paul McParlan - See it! Say it! Sort it!
Everton last played a game on 15 March, and they won’t be in action again until 02 April. I am sure that I am not the only one experiencing withdrawal symptoms! It is such a long break, especially with the football season heading to a climax.
Was it necessary to have no Premier League fixtures this weekend because of the FA Cup? By comparison, La Liga resumed on Thursday, the Bundesliga will start today and Serie A on Saturday.
The England games against Albania and Latvia were predictably dull, unless you are a fan of watching paper aeroplanes being thrown onto the pitch. It is hard to become excited about a World Cup qualifier when you already know the outcome.
Still, it allowed some journalists to speculate that not making the England squad meant that a disillusioned Jarrad Branthwaite would now be heading to Manchester United in the summer.
It was pleasing to see Jesper Lindstrom deliver a man of the match performance for Denmark v Portugal. It would be good if he could reproduce that form in an Everton shirt, especially in the Derby!
Last Sunday saw the second test event at our new stadium. And what an utterly fantastic arena it is. The architect, Dan Meis, deserves praise for designing a football stadium that is ironically unique and a glorious place to watch football. The views from the stands are stunning and the volume of noise is going to be deafening when we play our first competitive game there.
In contrast, the difficulty experienced by many fans in travelling to and from the stadium is a major concern. It is obvious that Sandhills Station cannot cope with the volume of passengers on match days, and the extra congestion caused by road closures meant that many of the Soccerbuses were caught up in traffic queues, with fans going nowhere fast.
These issues need to be resolved because a large part of Everton’s financial projections are based on attracting other sporting and musical events to the venue. However, if these occasions are marred by fans not being able to access Bramley Moore, then those event organisers may look elsewhere, which would have devastating consequences for the club.
The success of our new home is vital for the future of Everton. It is just over one mile from the city centre. It cannot continue to be negatively impacted by unsuitable transportation arrangements.
I have a message for Steve Rotheram and the Liverpool City Council: sort out the trains, sort out the traffic and sort out the parking. Why are we making it so hard for fans to get to and from the match? Get it sorted for the next test event in May!
James Kellett - Give Goodison the send off she deserves
The month ahead for Everton is set to be their toughest of the season - on paper. I say on paper, as we fully well know football is played on the pitch and not through stats or league positions.
With the Toffees set to face all of the top five Premier League teams in the space of a month, many will no doubt write off David Moyes’ side, and with reason based on the gulf in quality between these select teams and 15th-placed Everton.
But when we take a step back, supporters should enter this month in a grateful position that we are not teetering on the brink of relegation, and the pressure of dropping to the Championship is not swirling about the club.
Not so long ago, clashes with relegation rivals and encounters with the big six plagued our run-in for the end of the season and left us hoping for other clubs to do their part in our survival bid.
But for once, we enter the run-in on a positive note, and it is important such positivity remains, as this will be our driving force against the awaiting opposition.
With four games remaining at our beloved Goodison, simultaneously, let’s give her the rousing send-off she deserves, but prove we are a club moving forward and are ready to compete in the Premier League once again.