Royal Blue

Welcome back to the latest edition of the Royal Blue Podcast!Host Phil Kirkbridge is joined by the usual suspects Dave Prentice, Adam Jones and Gav Buckland to reflect on the recent Toffees performances including the recent loss away to Manchester City.With most of the talk regarding Abdoulaye Doucouré's return (or perhaps non-return) from injury, the lads debate other whether the French midfielder should start or not.Attention then turns to the Striker issues, with Rafa Benitez's recent Press Conference raising eyebrows, where he named the 'remaining' attacking options his side has left, and what impact this may have on his side.And of course, the lads preview this weekend's clash with Brentford in London, and give their predictions of what could be a sticky encounter for the Toffees.Enjoy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Royal Blue Podcast returns this week to discuss the disappointing 3-0 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday. Everton fell to a heavy loss as Rafa Benitez continues to wait for several star players - including Yerry Mina, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Dominic Calvert-Lewin - to return. Sam Carroll is joined by Adam Jones, Dave Prentice and Chris Beesley to discuss poor performances from several individuals and what comes next during a tough run of fixtures. There is also time to discuss a new club for Tony Hibbert and transfer rumours linking Jordan Pickford with a move to Tottenham Hotspur. Enjoy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the ground where Everton regularly took a knife to a gunfight - and came out on top.The Toffees won on four successive visits to Manchester City in the noughties - and even enjoyed back to back draws in 2016 and 2017.But that was then. They haven't won at the Etihad since 2010 - and Phil Kirkbride, Gavin Buckland and David Prentice try to keep it upbeat as they discuss Sunday's post-international break visit.They discuss line ups, the importance of Fabian Delph, Jordan Pickford's future and can Everton realistically expect to come away from the champions with a positive result. Spoiler. Someone does. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Royal Blue Podcast returns this week to cure your international break boredom!Sam Carroll is joined by Dave Prentice, Chris Beesley and Gavin Buckland to discuss another eventful seven days at Goodison Park.Rafa Benitez continues to make his mark behind-the-scenes after it was confirmed director of medical services Danny Donachie will leave after a review into the recent injury record at the club.Everton have also been linked with a January move for Ross Barkley, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin won plaudits for his appearance on the cover of fashion magazine Homme Plus.The panel discuss all of this on the latest episode as well as answering questions posed on social media, including Marcel Brands, Farhad Moshiri and Financial Fair Play. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Royal Blue Podcast returns to assess the Premier League draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday as well as the impending international break.Sam Carroll is joined by guests Adam Jones, Dave Prentice and Chris Beesley as they talk through the refereeing performance of Chris Kavanagh and several notable performances at Goodison Park.Fabian Delph has the chance to rewrite his Everton story after a man-of-the-match showing against Spurs but the panel are concerned by the performances of Mason Holgate - sent off on Sunday - and Jean-Philippe Gbamin this term.There is also time to preview the international break as Abdoulaye Doucoure and Dominic Calvert-Lewin continue their recovery from injury.You can join the Royal Blue Podcasts group on Facebook to join the conversation or follow @LivEchoEFC on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Royal Blue podcast team are back for a second time this week to preview Sunday's game with Spurs at Goodison.After having an impact off the bench against Wolves on Monday night, Fabian Delph is in the frame to start the game but how does Rafa Benitez choose a system that brings the best out of him?Would playing 4-3-3 - a formation Benitez doesn't use often - allow for Anthony Gordon to start the game?Host Phil Kirkbride asks these questions, and more, to Adam Jones and Gav Buckland.The Goodison atmosphere, Gomes' situation and much more is also discussed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Phil Kirkbride, Chris Beesley, Adam Jones and Gav Buckland as they dissect Everton's 2-1 loss away to Wolves on Monday night. The defensive issues against Watford were on display once again, with the players even arguing with each other at times. The panel discuss Rafa's tactics with particular reference to the midfield, and which personnel should be deployed in Doucoure's absence. The quartet then look ahead to this weekend's clash with Tottenham and their newly appointed coach, Antonio Conte. Enjoy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Royal Blue podcast is an edition we'd rather not have recorded. It's a special tribute to the former Everton manager, Walter Smith, who passed away on Monday aged 73. Alan Myers, who was the club's Communication Manager when Walter was manager, Kevin Campbell, who Walter brought to the club on loan, signed permanently in 1999 then made the club captain, and David Prentice, who was the Echo's Everton correspondent when Walter was at the helm, all share their recollections and memories of a very special man. It's a sad subject, but with plenty of uplifting moments about a man who enriched their lives and everyone he came into contact with. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Adam Jones is joined by Dave Prentice, Chris Beesley and Gav Buckland to try and understand what happened at Goodison Park on Saturday. Everton were beaten 5-2 at the hands of Watford thanks to a disgraceful collapse in the final moments of the match, in which the hosts conceded four goals in 13 minutes. Set pieces were again a problem for Rafa Benitez's side, but the gaping defensive issues didn't stop there. Our panel also discussed the effectiveness of Salomon Rondon and how poor the Blues looked in midfield without the influence of Abdoulaye Doucoure. Some harsh truths needed to be told. Enjoy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Royal Blue team had plenty to get their teeth stuck into in the latest edition of the podcast. Top of the agenda today, as host Phil Kirkbride posed the questions to Dave Prentice, Adam Jones and Gav Buckland, was Everton's growing injury problems. A week that had already confirmed a lay-off for Abdoulaye Doucoure also brought us confirmation of a set-back for Dominic Calvert-Lewin and an injury to Yerry Mina. The panel assess Everton's injury problems and look at how Rafa Benitez will cope for the upcoming games. Today's conversation then moves onto ticket prices after the club confirmed the cost of coming to Goodison will go up next season as Everton begin the process of working out how life will look at the new stadium. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Sam Carroll is joined by Dave Prentice and Chris Beesley for the first Royal Blue podcast recorded in first person since March 2020. But sadly the panel, which also includes Gavin Buckland from home, are not reflecting on a fourth straight Everton Goodison Park win. Instead, they look back at the 1-0 defeat to West Ham United on Sunday. They discuss all the big talking points from what was a disappointing outcome, including the controversial decision to award a corner that led to the only goal of the game, and the performances of Salomon Rondon and Alex Iwobi. But while that duo had afternoons to forget, they were not the only ones, with questions about the form of Ben Godfrey and whether the crowd could have done more to inspire the off-colour players also debated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dave Prentice and Gavin Buckland join Sam Carroll for your Friday edition of the Royal Blue podcast to look ahead to Sunday's visit of West Ham United to L4. The match will mark the return of David Moyes, along with Kurt Zouma and Nikola Vlasic, to Everton. It's now more than nine years since Moyes left the Blues for Manchester United. His derisory bids for Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines after he moved to United soured his relationship with Evertonians. But, with time proving just what a good job he did at Goodison Park, has that frostiness cooled? Equally, are Blues taking Rafa Benitez, who used to go up against Moyes when he was in charge of Liverpool, closer to their hearts? Both questions are discussed by Sam, Gav and Prenno, who held an exclusive interview with Benitez for the Liverpool ECHO this week, which you can read by clicking the links below. And with Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin still sidelined, the panel also ask whether Sunday is the perfect time for Salomon Rondon to kick star

There's no doubting the big football story of the week - the Saudi Arabia-backed takeover of Newcastle United. But what does it mean for the Everton? And given the ethical concerns around the deal, how easily does it sit that it has been given the green light by the Premier League? Adam Jones, Dave Prentice and Gavin Buckland join Phil Kirkbride to discuss that on the latest Royal Blue podcast, as well as assessing Everton's start to the season so far and the performance of new manager Rafa Benitez. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By popular demand, David Hughes and Josh Williams are back with Analysing Everton, their excellent tactics and analytics podcast. And it's a good time to return with the Blues just two points off top spot going into the international break following the 1-1 draw at Manchester United last weekend. So have our hosts changed their pre-season predictions? David and Josh give their opinions on that, then dig deep into the numbers to explain whether Everton's impressive start to the campaign is built on solid foundations. Focusing on what new boss Rafa Benitez has done to the team, they also look at the performances of prominent individual players, including Demarai Gray, Andros Townsend and Abdoulaye Doucoure, and also talk about where Dwight McNeil, the Burnley winger who was linked with a move to Goodison Park in the summer, could fit in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Carroll is joined by Adam Jones, Chris Beesley and Dave Prentice for the Royal Blue podcast to talk Everton's excellent 1-1 draw at Manchester United, the performances of Andros Townsend, Anthony Gordon and Abdoulaye Doucoure, and whether Tom Davies should have shot instead of passed to Yerry Mina. Speaking of Mina, his increasingly impressive displays are discussed, as is the start to the campaign, and the work done by Rafa Benitez, going into the international break. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam Jones, Chris Beesley and Dave Prentice join Adam Jones to look ahead to tomorrow's trip to Manchester United in the latest Royal Blue podcast. With Alex Iwobi joining the walking wounded, could there be a start for Tom Davies at Old Trafford in what is a big season for the Everton midfielder? Also up for discussion is Salomon Rondon's Blues career so far, the prospect of Dominic Calvert-Lewin's and Richarlison's return, plus the talks Rafa Benitez held with the latter this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam Jones is joined by Dave Prentice and Connor O’Neill for the latest Royal Blue podcast, looking back on the weekend’s win over Norwich City and more. Having seen off the Canaries at Goodison Park, the analysis focuses on the midfield Rafa Benitez has put together with Abdoulaye Doucoure one of those kicking on under the Spaniard. Lewis Dobbin’s cameo from the bench leads the discussion onto Everton’s academy pathway before moving onto Richarlison’s future following the latest comments made by the Brazilian. Enjoy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Carroll, Dave Prentice and Gavin Buckland join host Adam Jones for the Royal Blue podcast. Looking back at the disappointing Carabao Cup penalty shoot-out defeat at QPR on Tuesday, they pick out the players who let themselves down and the handful who did themselves a favour. James Rodriguez was nowhere to be seen at Loftus Road Instead, he was in Qatar, finalising his move to Al Rayyan. The panel have the final word on the Colombian superstar who never got to play in front of fans at Goodison Park before looking ahead to a 'must-win' match at home to Norwich City on Saturday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Royal Blue Podcast returns to assess the potential exit of James Rodriguez to Qatar and the Premier League defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday. Sam Carroll is joined by guests Adam Jones, Dave Prentice and Gavin Buckland as they also talk through the Carabao Cup trip to Queens Park Rangers. Gavin believes Everton were put in a difficult position by Carlo Ancelotti and Rodriguez while Dave insists the parting of the ways seems to be mutual between the Colombian and Rafa Benitez. There is also time to discuss The Boys from the Blue Stuff - a new book by Gavin set to be released at the end of September with a glowing reference from fellow author Dave. You can follow the Royal Blue Podcasts group on Facebook. Enjoy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Royal Blue Podcast is back and hoping Everton can continue their unbeaten start to the 2021/22 season. Rafa Benitez takes his side to face Aston Villa on Saturday evening with the Blues riding high on what has been a very strong start to the campaign. Host Phil Kirkbride is joined by Dave Prentice, Adam Jones and Gav Buckland to discuss the perception of the new boss after his opening five matches of the term - and look ahead to what could be a very interesting encounter with Dean Smith's side this weekend. The panel also talk over the latest stadium news as Bramley-Moore Dock is ready to receive a £45m funding boost. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices