Everton

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Former Everton defender Alan Stubbs has been speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside following the news that The Friedkin have agreed to buy the majority shareholding in the Toffees: "It is great news for the football club. They are the best of the two that were involved and Dan Friedkin is the one in terms of his business acumen. He brings a wealth of experience from the football side of it.

"I'm trying to not get too excited about it but it is really positive news for the football club.

"This sale has been going on for far too long. We look like we are potentially going to get the right people in place but we have been rudderless, going nowhere off the pitch, for far too long. We have had an owner who has washed his hands of and had nothing to do with the club and given no updates.

"Now we have a situation where we are looking like we are a) getting the best new owner we can get from everyone involved and b) the end of Moshiri era.

"The only positive from Moshiri now is that he built us a fantastic looking stadium that we are ready to move into.

"The problem with our last owner was that he wanted to do bit of everything - buying players, selling players - but he had no experience of that. He wanted to come in and buy his way to being successful.

"Some might be lucky and be able to to that, Roman Abramovich at Chelsea for example, but Moshiri has spent billions and got it drastically wrong.

"We want someone now who has a vison, a football business background and gives us an insight into how they see taking Everton forwards."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

With Roma owners The Friedkin Group looking set to complete their takeover of Everton, subject to regulatory and financial checks, Italian football Journalist Daniele Verri has been speaking to BBC Sport about what fans can expect from the potential new ownership.

Everton fans are looking forward to "stability" after seeing the club "run like a corner shop", says former chair of the Fans' Forum Nick Mernock.

It was confirmed on Monday that The Friedkin Group has reached an agreement to buy Farhad Moshiri's majority 94% stake in the Blues.

If the deal meets all regulatory approval from the Premier League, the Football Association and the Financial Conduct Authority, it could bring an end to a long-standing and turbulent takeover.

"On the face of it, it looks exactly like what a lot of Evertonians wanted," Mernock told BBC Sport.

"But a lot of us are also very battle hardened and cynical of these things.

"The announcement comes with caveats of a number of checks - financial checks, Premier League checks and clearances, so it is a mixed reaction of excitement at the potential to move forward but also a little air of 'I will believe it when I actually see it'."

The Friedkin Group is already a lender to the club after injecting £200m, though this could be converted to equity as part of the deal.

The agreement between the group and Moshiri's Blue Heaven Holdings has been signed and finances are in place for completion.

"There is always concern that a new person is going to come in and put their stamp on it. It is their club, their money, so inevitably they will," Mernock added.

"But there are hopes they will at least get a feel for the dynamic of the fan base, what the expectation is rather than make an early changes.

"With the greatest respect to the people who have had [the club] previously, we have sort of been run like a corner shop. We haven't really had that direction, that strategy, that big perspective mentality that has taken Everton forward.

"Having that strategic stability and direction has to be the thing most Everton fans are looking forward to."

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It looks like the Farhad Moshiri era is finally coming to an end at Everton.

The Friedkin Group, who also own Italian outfit AS Roma, have agreed to buy the majority shares in the Merseyside club.

How are you feeling about the news, Toffees fans? Could this be the start of something big at Everton?

Let us know your thoughts on the imminent takeover here, external

Giulia Bould
BBC Radio Merseyside reporter

The news that an agreement has been reached between Everton's majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri and The Friedkin Group will be met with a mix of hope and fear for supporters.

This takeover at Goodison Park has gone on so long that most fans worry about the next negative headlines.

The American group will need to pass the Premier League's owners' and directors' test and get approval from the Financial Conduct Authority, but finance experts tell me this is unlikely to be a problem for Dan Friedkin, whose net worth is $7.6bn (£5.8bn).

If this goes through it will end a long-running saga that has seen several false dawns and bring an end to Moshiri's reign.

The British-Iranian businessman's tenure will be remembered for a period of fractured relations with the fanbase, PSR breaches, points deductions, relegation battles and eight permanent managers over his eight year ownership.

Listen to Total Sport Merseyside from 18:00 on weeknights and find details here of live Everton match commentaries on BBC Radio Merseyside

Explore Everton content on BBC Sounds

Tell us what you think of the ownership situation - are you optimistic?, external

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Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite says he is "feeling good" on his return to football.

The centre-back returned to the field on Sunday with Everton's Under-21 side in their 4-3 victory against Sunderland Under-21s, his first match since June.

“I feel good. It’s good to get out there and get minutes under my belt," Branthwaite said.

"The game was entertaining and end-to-end, which is what I needed to get back up to speed.

"It's been frustrating, I would love to be out there with the lads. I’ve been taking the time to come back stronger, so that when I do come back, I can make an impact.

"You've got to have full belief in your own ability [to get back to the heights he showed last season]. After being out for such a long time it's going to be difficult to get back up to speed, but I believe that when I get a chance to get back in the team, I'll make an impact."

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BBC Sport's Chief Football Writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions on the weekend's football action.

Anon asked: Hi Phil, Toffees fan here. I’m optimistic that Branthwaite’s return will mean better defensive solidity for Everton but I am worried that, though we are finally scoring goals, our back line still won’t be watertight on his return.

Do you think this is going to end up being a problem for Everton this season or is it a matter of time before we see Dyche pull together the resilient, defensive style he’s known for?

Phil answered: I think Branthwaite’s return can only be good for Everton and Sean Dyche will hope the addition of Mangala in midfield can provide an even stronger defensive shield. Branthwaite has been badly missed.

He will certainly hope so because Dyche’s big quality, as it was last season, is making his teams difficult to score against, which has not been the case this term as Everton have conceded 14 league goals in five games.

Everton and Dyche need it to happen quickly because it’s been a dreadful start to the season – even with the one point they finally have on the board after the draw at Leicester City.

Follow the rest of Phil's Q&A plus the rest of the day's football action here

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Leicester City and Everton.

Here are some of your comments:

Leicester fans

Andy: I feel like our squad is reasonably strong and some of our players are playing well but I just can't understand Steve Cooper's tactics. I'm not sure what he is trying to achieve. Watching Jordan Ayew trying to beat full-backs is painful. Starting a 33-year-old winger ahead of Abdul Fatawu and Kasey McAteer is baffling, especially when he's up against Ashley Young.

John: Could do better, so the saying goes. Playing too passively and not pressing teams early on - it's as if they are playing away at home games. This emanates from the manager, as does the questionable team selections and tactics. Urgent improvement needed or the worst will happen.

Dino: Pretty poor for most of the game. I don’t think we have an identity. Whether you liked Enzo Maresca's style or not, at least you knew what we were about. We seem to be stuck between styles. Stephy Mavididi was our best player but did get taken off!

James: Once again, it's a combination of too little, too late, and coming out of the starting blocks too slowly. Leicester were very poor in the first half and deserved to be behind. Tactics and substitutions were once again questionable, but still somehow salvaged a point. The Foxes once again showed they can compete, just too inconsistently to survive.

Everton fans

Carl: I just knew Leicester would score. We had chances to put the game to bed but we crumble in the last 20 minutes of games and Sean Dyche's subs are a joke. Too negative of a manager

Tony: We're scoring goals. We're making opportunities - that's progress on last season. We've got a manager with a sense of realism and players that care about the outcome. It's hard for fans who want more - the problem is without having money to buy the club or the ability to play there's not a lot of influence you can bring to bear. I have faith.

Ian: Two points lost. Why take Jesper Lindstrom off for Jack Harrison? That was a defensive move, when we should have been looking for a second. Then, to take Iliman Ndiaye off totally lost our attacking front. At least we got a point. Onwards and upwards.

Chris: We need to start defending better. It's great going in front, but this is the Premier League. If you don't take the other chances when they fall your way and you don't defend properly for 90-plus minutes you are going to get punished. There were one or two positives today, but we need to do much better if we are going to climb up the table.

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Former Everton defender Ashley Williams expects Iliman Ndiaye to be "really important" for the Blues this season, after scoring his first Premier League goal for the club in Saturday's draw with Leicester.

"I thought he was Everton's best player today, especially in the first half. He had a very bright performance," Williams said on Match of the Day. "He has got really good balance. In a rigid Everton team, he's someone with a lot of creativity."

"He plays with a certain amount of freedom, which sometimes Sean Dyche's players don't do."

"I was really impressed. He has got nice feet, he is clever with what he's doing and he can beat his man.

"He is going to be really important for Everton."

Catch up on Match of the Day on BBC iPlayer

Former Brighton and Chelsea manager Graham Potter would be interested in taking over at Everton if the job becomes available. (Football Insider), external

England striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is not close to signing a new contract beyond next summer, as Newcastle United continue to monitor the 27-year-old's situation. (CaughtOffisde), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Gary Lineker presents highlights and analysis from Saturday's eight Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Liverpool 3-0 Bournemouth

• Crystal Palace 0-0 Manchester United

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Everton boss Sean Dyche has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day following the draw: "I thought that it was a positive display from us. There have been question marks around us not winning, but we have got our nose in front and I thought we delivered a good performance.

"I don't like crying in luck too much, but the ball falls to them in a moment where we didn't look in too much trouble defensively. They only had two shots on target at home, which I'm pleased with.

"We know we have to take chances. We created enough again today to be more than one goal in front but, generally, it was a positive display.

"There are lots of positive signs. A ball falls to them in an unfortunate moment and that is the way it is going at the moment, but I thought that there was a big shift in our play today."

On goalscorer Iliman Ndiaye: "I'm really pleased [with him]. He ran out of steam a bit towards the end of the game, but he has played more football than we were expecting him to at this stage [of the season].

"For the goal, it was great play from Ashley Young to put the ball in and it was a great touch and finish from Iliman."

On remaining winless in the league: "I look at it as it is. There are positive signs that we are moving closer to the way we want to play. We are still moulding a group together that can do what we want them to do, so it's a constant work in progress."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Leicester’s performance, external

What did you make of Everton’s display?, external

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Follow reaction and read the match report

Eight matches make up Saturday's Premier League action, and we will bring you every moment.

All kick-off times BST

Follow all of the action and reaction here

BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries:

• Liverpool v Bournemouth

• Crystal Palace v Manchester United

Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

For week five, he takes on singer-songwriter and West Ham fan James Smith whose debut album Common People is out now.

Leicester host Everton in a 15:00 BST kick-off on Saturday..

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

This is a huge game for both teams and it is probably safe to say that neither of them will want to go 2-0 up after what happened when they both did it last week - Leicester held by Crystal Palace and Everton losing at Aston Villa.

The Foxes' collapse was not quite as extreme as Everton's against Bournemouth and Villa, but it was still pretty bad.

So, who do I back here? Everton are still without a point and also went out of the Carabao Cup on penalties against Southampton in midweek, but I just have a feeling that this might be the day where their manager Sean Dyche catches a break.

He needs one, that's for sure. Dyche should not be at risk of getting sacked - and I want to make that absolutely clear - but you sense that a fair few of the Everton fans have turned against him now and don't have faith in him anymore.

Another defeat, especially against another side from down the bottom of the table, would not go down well.

Smith's prediction: 1-1

Everton have been absolutely awful but maybe they will play it a bit safer because of what happened to them against Bournemouth and Villa when they were 2-0 up but lost each time.

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell is optimistic about the Toffees' future, after a summer where the club held on to centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite and with their new stadium Bramley-Moore Dock preparing to open at the end of the season.

Speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside's Giulia Bould, he said: "We have got something to look forward to.

"Goodison Park is an amazing place to play football, but from a hospitality and revenue perspective it's not as strong as perhaps Bramley-Moore Dock will be. [It] really is the future for us in terms of being able to regenerate some finances.

"It feels like we are coming out of a tunnel. It doesn't feel like we are quite out of it yet, but hopefully there are brighter skies ahead."

In the summer, Branthwaite was linked with a move away from Goodison Park and Thelwell hopes he can start contributing to Sean Dyche's team again soon.

"Jarrad was at risk throughout the whole of the transfer window," he said. "It was always our plan for Jarrad to stay. It was always a conversation that we had with him and the people who represent him.

"But we also knew that if we wanted him to stay, because of our financial position, we would probably have to give something else up in the marketplace and the player who went was Amadou Onana, as well as others.

"Our situation is such that we can't have a perfect picture. If we want to keep someone like Jarrad, we have to make sure that we resolve our financial problem. We are all committed to that and delighted he has stayed.

"I know he hasn't been back on the pitch yet, but I am sure he will make a lot of difference when he returns."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

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After four matches, Everton are rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table and yet to pick up a point.

The Toffees' have been beaten in their last two league fixtures, despite having two-goal leads in both, and take on Leicester City on Saturday (15:00 BST).

BBC Radio Merseyside sat down for an exclusive interview with Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell and he sought to reassure fans that work was being done behind the scenes to help the Blues climb the table.

"It's been a difficult start, hasn't it?" he said. "I think we would have all hoped and wanted more and the reality is that we haven't got any points on the board as it stands. The Premier League is particularly difficult this year and everyone is spending incredible amounts to make their groups better.

"I don't think it is all negative. I think we have played well in some games. It was a difficult game for us against Spurs and we played well for the majority of the Bournemouth game and there were also positives from the Aston Villa game.

"Despite the results not being anywhere near what we would have wanted, there are some positives that we can take from those first games. We obviously need to work very hard at those things and do what we can to put things right."

Thelwell went on to back manager Sean Dyche and reiterate the way they are working together to improve results on the pitch.

"Sean is obviously working under very difficult circumstances," he said. "We have still got an ownership issue to resolve, financial issues to resolve so that makes it very difficult for a manager to make that next step.

"And also very difficult for the fanbase because they have been ever-so patient and they all know what Everton should be, can be and hopefully will be in the future. It is difficult to come every week and not see the Everton they want to see.

"Sean and I work very closely with each other. We are talking regularly in the mornings, afternoons and evenings, about what we can do and how we can use the resources we have to turn things round.

"I can assure everyone that there is no stone unturned in trying to rectify our current situation."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds.

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Sean Dyche entered Thursday's news conference to preview the crunch weekend game at Leicester clutching a slither of paper before placing it down on the table in front of him.

"What's on there?" asked one reporter.

"What's it to you?" was the reply in jest from the Everton manager.

It transpired that the note contained the names of 10 players that were either ruled out or doubtful for Saturday's trip to King Power Stadium as Dyche's squad selection concerns continue to grow.

In fact, when I asked him to clarify how many fit players he had to choose from, he had forgotten to name Jack Harrison as one who had left training to go home because of illness.

The issues are stacking up for the ex-Burnley boss, sitting not only bottom of the Premier League but also making the worst start to the season of all 96 clubs in Europe's top-five leagues.

Steve Cooper's men head into the game knowing Everton stayed up two seasons ago at the expense of Leicester and will be aiming to exact some measure of revenge.

Dyche is well aware of the reality of the situation he finds himself in and has been given a public vote of confidence by the club's hierarchy, but he and the side are in desperate need of a result against the Foxes.

A fifth straight league defeat after going out of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday will do little to calm the fans' concerns and heap even more pressure on the beleaguered Toffees boss.

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For only a fourth time, Leicester City have failed to win any of their first four Premier League games in a season. On the three previous occasions - in 1994-95, 2003-04 and 2022-23 - they were relegated.

Everton have lost their opening four league matches in a season for just the third time, also doing so in 1926-27 (first five) and 1958-59 (first six).

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The issue around the footballing calendar and the demands being placed on players right now is a difficult one.

First, we need to take into consideration the really high demands on the body that go on all-year round with few breaks, especially for international footballers and those in teams competing on multiple fronts.

I know the men's and the women's games are different, but we got exposed to these issues when we went from amateur to professional. There was a lot of loading, a lot of games and the result of that was a higher risk of injury and we have seen a lot of anterior cruciate ligament injuries now in the women's game.

From the fans' side, their point is often that players get paid a lot of money but I think that is irrelevant. That is just the industry players are in and, if you take out the money, they are still human beings.

The governing bodies need to look at who they consult with about changes in the calendar such as World Cups being held in winter and summers where there is just a couple of weeks off before going straight back into it. The changes and fixtures that are put in are there to generate more money, which makes it difficult. As a business, it is about money.

We talk about mental health a lot and you wonder, where is the time to switch off and have that time away from playing? To have that family time which is a deep human need? At some point mentally, if not physically, it will take its toll.

None of us want to see players striking, but players need to be listened to. What do they need to do to make change happen?

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson