Everton Round-Up, Wednesday 28th October: Coleman Questions Beto Exit as Newcastle Carabao Cup Clash Looms
There's no first-team match report tonight, but Everton Women were in action at Sheffield United, with EvertonFC.com running live coverage of the game (EvertonFC.com). Elsewhere on the women's and academy front, Everton's Under-21s suffered a Jersey Mike's Trophy (EFL Cup) defeat at Shrewsbury Town, giving up a 92nd-minute winner to lose 2-1, and the academy has stressed the lads must learn to see games out after that late collapse (Liverpool Echo) (Royal Blue Mersey).
The big talking point of the day belongs to Seamus Coleman, who has questioned Everton's decision to sell Beto to Fiorentina on deadline day without lining up a replacement striker (Read Everton) (Read Everton). The former captain, who left Everton at the end of last season after 17 years at the club, has also been offered a role at Everton and given an update on his retirement plans, while sharing some wider criticism of the club's current state (Royal Blue Mersey) (Liverpool Echo). Fittingly, ex-Blue Jermaine Beckford has been giving his thoughts on how current frontman Thierno Barry can follow in the footsteps of his idol Romelu Lukaku (Liverpool Echo).
With Barry currently David Moyes' only recognised senior striker following that calamitous summer business, Everton are reportedly already looking at options for January. TeamTalk claims the club are plotting a move for a red-hot Iceland international striker, while a separate report has Everton monitoring Real Sociedad's Orri Óskarsson, the Iceland captain, as Moyes weighs up reinforcements up front (TeamTalk) (Read Everton). Further afield, BBC Sport's gossip column mentions Everton being linked with a move for Marcus Rashford, alongside unrelated items on Jadon Sancho and Desire Doue (BBC Sport).
Off the pitch, there's been plenty of discussion around the ownership situation. A reported £1billion valuation of Everton could put off potential buyers as The Friedkin Group weighs up its options, according to finance expert Stefan Borson (Read Everton). Separately, a fresh claim has emerged suggesting UEFA's multi-club ownership rules played a significant part in TFG changing its plans for the club over the summer (Read Everton). The Liverpool Echo also argues the Friedkin Group need to fully reverse their biggest misstep - having been prepared to sell Harrison Armstrong before performing a U-turn on that decision (Liverpool Echo).
All eyes now turn to Thursday night's Carabao Cup fourth-round tie against Newcastle United at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Everton and captain James Tarkowski facing the Magpies twice in the space of five days (Liverpool Echo) (Royal Blue Mersey). Team news remains uncertain, with Moyes not holding a conventional pre-match press conference this week and Everton still waiting on several players, with reports suggesting as many as seven could miss out (Liverpool Echo) (Read Everton). ToffeeWeb have published their usual preview and team news for the clash (ToffeeWeb), while Royal Blue Mersey and others are billing it as a potentially season-defining game given Everton's recent back-to-back defeats to Chelsea and Arsenal (Royal Blue Mersey) (Royal Blue Mersey). The Echo also reflects on what the League Cup should really mean to a club who have never won it, with Everton able to reach the quarter-finals if they beat Newcastle (Liverpool Echo). Fans are also being pointed towards the quarter-final draw, which follows Thursday's match and will decide Everton's final-eight opponents, with Liverpool potentially joining them in the draw should they beat Chelsea (Prince Rupert's Tower) (Liverpool Echo).
On the right flank, Merlin Röhl has set his sights on nailing down the right-back spot for Everton, saying he wants "to give something the fans love" from that position (ToffeeWeb).
Finally, Everton have announced the launch of an Easy Access Descriptive Commentary Service for supporters (EvertonFC.com), while the club has also confirmed a third consecutive Players Cup win (EvertonFC.com).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.