By Ollie Irish

Some exclusive(ish) pics of Fulham in training ahead of this weekend’s Prem game against strugglers Everton at the Cottage. Click on any thumbnail to breeze through the gallery with impossible ease:

Photos: PA

                          

By Ollie Irish

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Manchester United's Patrice Evra (left) and Everton's Mikel Arteta

Photos: PA

For once the boot was on the other foot for Fergie, who sat and suffered as Everton came from 3-1 down to snatch an unlikely 3-3 draw; Man Utd’s guvnor didn’t know whether to point angrily at his watch or sit in silence, chewing on wasps. In the end he went for the latter, perhaps wondering if his decision to rest Wayne Rooney would haunt him come May 2011. I doubt it: Dimitar Berbatov was excellent. On current form, the revitalised Bulgarian is United’s best striker.

Everton, epitomised by the superb Steven Pienaar, even had a chance to win it but referee Martin Atkinson – no doubt fearing the wrath of Fergie – bottled it and blew the full-time whistle during a dangerous counter-attack by the Toffees. A disgraceful decision.

But overall we should celebrate a quite brilliant match of football, the best in the Prem so far this season. Well done the blue team, well done the red team.

                          

By Ollie Irish

Remember how raw and overflowing with potential Wayne Rooney was in the blue of Everton? The shock of the new may be long gone, although he’s still capable of thrilling moments on the pitch, but these most excellent pics will jog your memory of the rough-edged teenager whose talent rocked English football:

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Photos: PA

                          

By Ollie Irish

Who the hell is Wee Jimmy Krankie? Answers in the usual place, please.

Previous answer: Daniel Agger

                          

By Ollie Irish

As Swap Shop deals go, £10m plus Michael Carrick doesn’t sound like too bad an offering – but when the prize is Jack Rodwell, forget about it.

The 19-year-old midfielder is the most gifted and mature English player under the age of 21, and United will surely have to offer much more than the Sun’s reported deal if David Moyes is to let another prodigy leave Goodison for Old Trafford.

                          

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Everton's Mikel Arteta (left) and Tim Cahill during the warm-up

Photos: PA

EASY pickings for Everton in the League Cup, with goals by… deep breath… Marouane Fellaini, Jack Rodwell, Jermaine Beckford, Louis Saha and Leon Osman. Huddersfield’s only goal came via a Johnny Heitinga own goal.

                          

By Ollie Irish

David Moyes: a fighty stare that is harder than any man’s fist

Okay, here we go again, this time in the shoes of Moyesy. Remembering that this is just a harmless bit of fun, I want you to pick Everton’s best starting XI for the coming season.

I’ll go first.

The formation: Moyes loves a nice drop of liquid 4-1-4-1, and who am I to disagree with that stare… okay, I am going to change it slightly, and go for a more attacking 4-4-1-1 formation.

The line-up:

Tim Howard

Seamus Coleman – Phil Jagielka – Sylvain Distin – Leighton Baines

Mikel Arteta – Jack Rodwell – Marouane Fellaini – Steven Pienaar

Tim Cahill (c)

Louis Saha

I can’t tell you how tough it was to come up with a satisfactory XI for Everton, especially in midfield, where they have so much talent. Even now I can’t find room for the likes of club captain Phil Neville (I like Coleman a lot at RB), John Heitinga, Joseph Yobo, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Leon Osman and Victor Anichebe.

Without P-Nev in the team, I’d give the armband to Cahill, who is a natural leader.

I’ve shown you mine. Now you show me yours…

Arsenal’s best XI

Chelsea’s best XI

                          

By Ollie Irish

Jamie Carragher, who of course was an Everton fan before he signed for Liverpool, has donated £10,000 to the Labour leadership campaign of MP Andy Burnham. What’s that, like a day’s wages? Anyway, it’s clear Carra wants to put a fellow Scouser into No.10. His campaign starts here.

Burnham, the former Secretary for Sport and Culture, is a lifelong Everton fan, and spoke with dignity at the Hillsborough 20th anniversary memorial a couple of years ago – even though some Reds jeered his speech (to be fair, they were jeering the government for its inaction, not Burnham himself).

Carra’s support of Burnham is well-documented:

Whilst it’s easy to spin this whole story into Red versus Blue (football wise), at least Carragher is showing an interest in a topic 99.9% of footballers couldn’t care less about (alas). And I like him more for that.

Carra for Deputy Prime Minister? He really can’t be worse than Prezza. And he too can dish a punch.

                          

By Ollie Irish

Everton play namesakes Everton Chile, aka Everton de Vina del Mar, in a friendly at Goodison on Wednesday evening (buy tickets).

We have some exclusive pics of Moyesy’s boys in training for that match:

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Everton's Mikel Arteta during a training session at the Finch Farm training centre

Ooh, look at Mikel Arteta’s manly yet smooth thighs! He’s like a giant gay Action Man.

Photos: EMPICS

                          

By Ollie Irish

A selection of the weekend’s best football pics, featuring Martin Petrov and Robbie Blake in action for new club Bolton, plus Jermaine Beckford’s first goals in an Everton shirt – and the incident that forced him off injured. Enjoy…

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Everton's Jermaine Beckford scores his second goal during the Pre-Season Friendly at Deepdale, Preston.

Photos: PA