Key events
âDonât you think that club statement is rather cold?â writes Phil Grey. âNo gratitude expressed for keeping Everton up for two more seasons through extraordinarily difficult circumstances. No warm wishes for the future.â
I thought that, too, having kept them up despite a points deduction. Dyche will bounce back, in his standard no-nonsense style.
Some news thatâs come in: Amad Diallo has signed a new five-and-a-half year contract at Manchester United. Heâs been one of the few pluses from a pretty torrid season.
Preamble
Quite the drama ⦠and the real stuff hasnât even kicked off yet. Sean Dyche was sacked as Everton manager earlier today, just hours before their FA Cup third-round tie against Peterborough, the 53-year-old denied his own Robins-Fergie moment. Leighton Baines, the former left-back and now Evertonâs under-18s coach, takes charge tonight alongside Seamus Coleman, which is giving off real 2013/14 vibes.
The more wholesome story of the evening is the possibility of Ashley Young lining up against his son Tyler, who plays as a midfielder for Posh. This interview is very sweet.
That tie kicks off at 7.45pm GMT, alongside Watfordâs trip to Fulham, which will see Marco Silva come up against his old side. Iâve thoroughly enjoyed watching the Cottagers this season with all their flair going forward, and reckon theyâve got a decent cup run in them. Before that, Sheffield United host Cardiff City at 7pm, so letâs keep an eye on that, too.
Hereâs to the magic of the cup, and the joy it still provides even as it comes up against questions of relevance. For all of Manchester Unitedâs misery last year, itâd be hard to find a supporter who wasnât ecstatic when they triumphed over City in May.
Letâs get going: feel free to drop in your thoughts, queries, worries, predictions, whatever you fancy. Cheers!