Here come the Moyes boys from the crisis club

Two directors – Paul Gregg and Jon Woods – appear to be at loggerheads and have taken their argument onto television with Gregg giving in an interview on Sky Sports News. This beats by some distance the Basil Dearing v Clive Holt bust up of 1995 or John Jackson’s attack on Bernard Rothwell in 1998 that set Turf Moor buzzing.

But back to Everton and a third director Arthur Abercromby has resigned following Chief Executive Trevor Birch out of the door.

Chairman Bill Kenwright, better known as Betty Turpin’s illegitimate son Gordon Clegg, is under immense pressure and to add to all that is the poser of should Wayne Rooney be sold or not.

Earlier this week Everton fans demonstrated during a defeat at Crewe and it would be no surprise to see them continue at the Turf tomorrow.

It’s just three years since the Toffees were last at the Turf for a pre-season game. On that occasion we went down to a 1-0 defeat on a night when we got our first sightings of new signings Luigi Cennamo, Arthur Gnohere, Alan Moore and Dimitri Papadopoulos who all came on during a second half when we made eleven substitutions.

Everton ended last season just one place above the bottom three relegation places with 39 points and were thankful for the poor form of Leeds, Leicester and Wolves that kept them out of the relegation battle.

They looked a side in dire need of strengthening but Haunted One Moyes has so far been able to add just one player to his squad, that of Ipswich Town’s Marcus Bent who spent virtually the whole of last season on loan to Leicester.

The big news though with the blue side of Liverpool is whether Wayne Rooney will sign the new five year deal that is on offer – right now he appears more concerned with trotting around Central Park in New York.

Moyes thinks he will sign it whilst others think not. “We’ve made him a tremendous offer and I would expect that to be accepted,” said the Goodison boss.

They’ve just returned this week from Austria and are set to jet off again, this time for the USA, but have squeezed in the two games against Crewe and the Clarets.

Kevin Campbell scored their consolation goal in the 2-1 defeat at Crewe and Everton lined up:

Nigel Martyn, Tony Hibbert, Alessandro Pistone, Alan Stubbs (Peter Clarke), David Weir, Steve Watson, Lee Carsley (Kevin Kilbane), Leon Osman, James McFadden, Duncan Ferguson (Marcus Bent), Nick Chadwick (Kevin Campbell). Subs not used: Alan Wright, Ian Turner, Fox, Yobo.

It should be a similar squad again with neither Gary Naysmith nor Li Tie expected to be fit whilst Thomas Gravesen and Tobias Linderoth, along with Rooney, are only reporting back today after being given time off after Euro 2004.

For us it will be the first chance to see the two latest signings in action. Keeper Danny Coyne signed on Friday but wasn’t available for the Dundee United game and Micah Hyde arrived on Monday.

Both are expected to play a part although manager Steve Cotterill hasn’t decided who will be his first choice keeper yet. Don’t think there will be any prizes for making the right guess.

There were suggestions that Dave Walton could be back from Derby to get a second chance to try and win a contract but it now looks as if we have decided not to pursue our interest in the central defender.

It is likely that the two French trialists Lionel Djebi Zadi and Cyril Eboki Poh will be involved again and with Ian Moore rated doubtful Eboki Poh could get a start.

Cotterill will select from: Danny Coyne, Brian Jensen, Michael Duff, Lee Roche, Lionel Djebi Zadi, John McGreal, Mo Camara, Micah Hyde, Richard Chaplow, Tony Grant, Graham Branch, Matt O’Neill, Robbie Blake, Cyril Eboki Poh, Michael Hale, Ryan Townsend, Neal Trotman plus Ian Moore and Joel Pilkington should they be declared fit.