Whitey Grandad

I would add his choice of Everton as one more example of his weird decisions.

That's one more team that I want us to finish above. Once there are 19 of them we shall be champions

As a manager he was sh!t. He wasn't my first choice.

Fixed it for you

Not in the same way that Everton is a suburb of Liverpool.

We make all our own laws but the UK goldplates those that originate from the EU. If we left the EU we would have to unmake them all again.

Your lungs, your choice, go ahead. You'll still look a tosser though

On holiday? Yes- he has.

Nothing weird about it. I'm looking forward to some real attacking football. I suppose it must be a bit like the Man U fans now that they've got rid of LVG. Oh hang on, they've appointed Mourinho.

Bournemouth play good football. Better than I've seen at SMS.

That he's leaving the club? - Yes, cetainly, bridges all burnt and all that. That he's joing Everton? - Ooh, I'm not so sure

Depends on the manager, I would presume.

They nicked our's first!

I've had watches with poor timekeeping but never one that was five years late!

Since Blair came to power there are now several million living in the UK who came from outside the EU.

Staying in the EEA would be an absolute minimum, I would have thought.

Experts in swearing? I never knew that such people existed

Me? It might be genuine but I wouldn't plan anything of this basis. We shall know for sure Thursday next week. Whatever happens I shall be in France until the 18th August so my grandson will have to watch us thrash Chelsea (again) or whoever.

For me this is the crux of the matter. Everton's management and their fans have based their assessment of Koeman on the results and league position alone. They think he's done really well because in their prejudiced view of our club they can't accept that we are where we are on merit and not because the manager has worked miracles. They can't accept that maybe we have a superior setup. We know that Koeman could have done better and that his replacement definitely will.

Yes, agreed. And if their new manager really can't live without him then they are going through have to back his judgment with their money. That £100m is not going to last very long.

From The Times this morning: Everton have been told to pay £5 million in compensation for Ronald Koeman if they want to appoint him as their next manager after talks with Southampton. The Merseyside club hope to reach a deal today but realistically believe that it may be the middle of the week before they are able to name Koeman as a successor to Roberto Martínez, who was sacked last month. Southampton appear to have increased the amount of money that they want after being angered by Koeman’s about-turn over leaving and Everton letting it be known that they have substantial funds available. The Dutchman said as recently last month that he would stay for the final year of his deal and then went on to verbally agree a new contract. Southampton were convinced that he would sign a new deal shortly after the season ended. Should Koeman leave, the south-coast side would refuse to allow any players to follow him to Goodison Park. Fraser Forster, the goalkeeper, has been linked with a move. Southampton have shortlisted Eddie Howe as a possible successor, although it would take some persuasion for him to leave Bournemouth. The club tried to appoint Howe as a successor to Alan Pardew in 2010 but were turned down and they appointed Nigel Adkins instead. Unai Emery, the Seville head coach, could be another option, although he rejected a move to West Ham United last summer and signed a new deal at the Spanish club. Southampton mapped out a new five-year plan to persuade Koeman to stay at the club when contract talks began in January. He cut a frustrated figure at the time amid concerns about the club’s ambition and how much he could spend if Victor Wanyama and Sadio Mané are sold, as expected, this summer.

15th June. I'd like an away fixture for the opening day please. Somebody has arranged that we shall be on holiday for that.

Hi and thanks for your input. You were doing fine until you got to the bit about 'lack of ambition'. I know we all love our respective clubs but any objective observer will not equate Everton with ambition. Good luck for next season. You're going to need it

Nice

Oh he's gone, there's no coming back from this. I just wonder, if it turned out that he wasn't actually going how would we all feel about him?