The countdown to the new season is underway and it has been a good start to the summer for Everton.
The early transfer window business has laid the foundation for the squad and work is ongoing to strengthen it ahead of the start of the season next month. Before then, Everton head to Ireland for what will be a poignant training camp that concludes with Seamus Coleman’s return to Sligo, where it all began for the Blues hero.
The ECHO will be providing coverage of that trip but, with the players back at work this week, here are a few points of interest before then in this week’s Everton Notebook.
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Still no clarity for Everton on outstanding PSR hearing
There was a lot of ‘noise’ around the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR) last month as they appeared to spark a scramble of late business between clubs fearing a similar fate to that which befell the Blues, twice, last year.
There is confidence within Everton that the early summer business they conducted helped the club move towards compliance. But the calculations were made far harder by the outstanding dispute with the Premier League over how interest was accounted for on loans the the Blues say were used for the new stadium.
This issue was raised in February but was not dealt with in a timeframe that could have allowed the club to deal with the verdict should it have lost the argument. A fortnight into the new football financial year and the ECHO understands there is still no sign of clarity on the matter, a problem that completely undermines the integrity of the process and which leaves Everton in a ridiculous position as the club attempts to navigate what is already a complex area.
Sean Dyche’s lucky tracksuit raises thousands
It feels like a long time ago that we were discussing Sean Dyche’s lucky tracksuit but listening to the bemusement in his voice as he fielded questions about whether his change in touchline attire had led to a change in fortunes was one of the more memorable moments of a remarkable season.
Well, Dyche went on to donate the lucky tracksuit to Everton in the Community for the charity to raffle off. Remarkably, the tracksuit that some might say inspired the week that changed Everton’s season – when wins over Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Brentford led the side surging to safety with weeks to spare – went on to raise £4,000 for EitC.
Asked how proud he was of the charity’s work, Dyche said: “Very much so. Unfortunately, because of the demands of the job, I don’t get down there as much as I’d like to but I’m aware of the work and I have been down to the People’s Place [Everton in the Community’s mental health and wellbeing hub] and spent the day there. Some of the work can be quite simple stuff but there’s some really in-depth stuff there as well that helps people with tragic circumstances. It’s about making sure different people have access to the services they need.”
Seamus Coleman interest
Everton’s players fly to Ireland next week for the squad’s pre-season training camp. The ECHO will be making the trip to provide insight, interviews and coverage from the preparations for the season, which is set to be a poignant one as the club attempts to build on the progress of last year while also giving Goodison Park the send off it deserves.
The trip is already attracting plenty of interest and one player is in particular demand. For all the important work that will be done on the training ground, the visit will also be a reflection of the Blues career enjoyed by club captain Coleman. With the camp concluding with a trip to the west coast and a friendly with his old club Sligo Rovers, there is a clamour for access to one of the club’s modern heroes on what will likely be an emotional return for the 35-year-old, who signed a 12 month extension this summer – one that will take him into a 16th year on Merseyside.
Neal Maupay and his goal target
Neal Maupay is back at Finch Farm after his loan spell at Brentford last season. The training ground has been a hive of activity all week and the familiar sight of supporters waiting outside the training ground gates to catch glimpses of their heroes returned after a quiet few weeks.
Maupay reported for duty on day one of pre-season on Monday as he looks to make a case for involvement this season. The forward was speaking on talkSPORT on Thursday and was asked whether he had a goal target for this season. He responded by saying it was “too early” to set one.
Little details that make the big new stadium so special
Work continues on the new waterfront stadium and it is fair to say there have been some landmark developments recently – ones that are really beginning to make the move feel more real.
The completion of the barrel-roof cladding was a notable milestone, meaning Liverpool’s fourth grace now has the full crown that makes it gleam in the sunshine. The installation of the dugout seats felt significant too – the throne of Blues managers of the future now sits among the more than 50,000 seats that already fill the stands.
With all the big developments it is easy to forget the attention to detail that has been paid to even the most intricate of features. In the most recent images released by the club there were shots of the boundary fence that marks the southern edge of the site, looking over the docks and back towards the city centre. The fence is topped with details that echo the Archibald Leitch pattern that is so familiar on the stands of Goodison – just one of many thoughtful little nods to the heritage of the club at its new home.
And over at Everton’s current home
Nikica Jelavic is the latest guest to be confirmed for the Gwladys Street Presents: Cult Heroes event next month. Part of a series of events that will mark the final year at Goodison, the occasion will also see Thomas Gravesen, Lee Carsley and Daniel Amokachi attend on Wednesday, August 21. Jelavic signed from Rangers in January 2012 and reached double figures in just 910 minutes for the Blues. More information on the event is available on Everton’s website.