On Thursday night, Leon Osman pitched the ceremonial first pitch when Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals hosted the Atlanta Braves, reigning World Series champions.
On Thursday night, Leon Osman pitched the ceremonial first pitch when Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals hosted the Atlanta Braves, reigning World Series champions.
Osman is a global ambassador and a former player in the first team. He knows everything about Everton football club.
This pre-season tour to the USA is a great opportunity to strengthen ties with Everton's supporters clubs in America. The first leg will take place at M&T Bank Stadium in the early hours of Saturday morning against Arsenal.
The Nationals, the 2019 World Series winners, welcomed Asmir Begovic and Mason Holgate, as well as new signing James Tarkowski. However, the calm atmosphere covered up the fact that they were 3,500 miles from home.
Unrest is raging among hardcore fans on Merseyside's blue side. Talk of a possible takeover has been the theme of summer for the Blues, with the Peter Kenyon-fronted consortium insisting that their offer for club remains open despite their expiration of exclusivity.
According to the Daily Telegraph the group, which was funded by Maciek Kaminski an American businessman, had hoped for an agreement to purchase Everton by July 21. However, any possible deal now seems dead and negotiations are at an end.
Farhad Moshiri, the majority owner of Everton, released a statement Thursday to his supporters in which he stated that Everton was not up for sale and that they are trying to recruit players this summer.
"There has been much discussion about investment in our football team recently - even takeovers- but I want you to clarify that there is currently no 'for-sale' sign outside Everton Football Club," wrote he in an open letter. This left some supporters with more questions than answers.
"It will always prove pragmatic to look at all possible investment opportunities. As I have been open about, I am focused primarily on financing our new stadium and strengthening the playing team. This might include a minority investment. This will not stop.
"But I want all of you to know that Everton Football Club will not be sold. Kevin Thelwell, the chairman and I remain committed to the club and are working together to recruit new players to enhance Frank Lampard's team.
The euphoria from the 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace, which secured the club's Premier League status, didn't take long to fade. This is what happens when you sell your best player.
The club's supporters played an important role in uniting the club during its three consecutive home matches, when they lined the streets and welcomed their team bus through plumes blue smoke.
The club finished four points below the Premier League relegation zone. However, those same fans have yet to see signs that such a narrow escape will not form the same story next season.
Everton supporters group 'The 27 Campaign', named after the number 27 years since the club won its last trophy in 1995 FA Cup final, felt that Moshiri had not provided any reassurance and offered only "little clarity" and "no detail" to their frustration.
The statement stated that it did not give any assurance that necessary leadership changes are being made by the club. "It does not address the issue of him listening to, engaging and then acting upon fans' concerns.
"His statement does not diminish the validity of the concerns expressed in the open letter. Farhad Moshiri is asked to think about how he can better 'Listen. Engage. And Act. We ask him to make the necessary changes at the board and executive levels.
After some supporters held banners outside Goodison Park calling on Moshiri and Bill Kenwright not to take over as chairman, the exchange took place. To ensure that the Gwladys Street turnstiles are positive, it is important to improve engagement.
Frank Lampard stated that before the final game in the 2021/22 campaign, he thought about the long-term club's future. However, he also said that he was more concerned with the present and immediate survival of the club. While we want to move the club forward, we must also improve.
"I must get to work in the pre-season. My staff and I have one, but we didn't have one before. Is it possible to make the squad more balanced and stronger? We can, I believe. It's okay to take a break from time to time, but it is important that we see it quickly.
"We now have Kevin Thelwell (Director of Football), and we have the board who are interested in getting more out of the club. We don't want to be here next year." We know that positive changes are possible even if we don’t make them.
Lampard's only signing, while Richarlison had to be sold, was the free transfer by James Tarkowski.
Everton weren't happy with the PS60m package for Brazil, but they had to pay that fee to ensure Lampard had some room in the transfer market.
The club has been forced to make amends for previous mistakes during the Farhad Moshiri era. Everton had to comply with the Premier League's Profit & Sustainability rules by midnight on July 1st.
This means that their summer transfer activity has only been two weeks old. However, Everton must now act like a big club, not an open buffet where the elite can cherry-pick their top players upon their arrival in the "land of opportunity".
Although it was generally agreed that at least one of the most valuable assets must be sold, other key outgoings cannot be predicted.
Everton did not entertain any interest from Newcastle academy graduate Anthony Gordon. The "new face at Number 10" shirt was given to him to emphasise his importance to the club’s future. Jordan Pickford and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are both expected to be part of the core team that Lampard is creating.
Richarlison's departure highlights how dependent the side was on him for goals last season, with six of his 10 league goals coming from the final nine matches.
Andros Townsend was ranked second in the list of goals, with seven in all competitions. His last appearance was in March after he sustained a serious knee injury. There is always a waiting game for possible targets. This domino effect can only happen when there is clarity elsewhere.
Both Armando Broja and Conor Gallagher are on the club's radar. However, both are currently part of Chelsea's training camp in Los Angeles. Thomas Tuchel is assessing whether they will be a part his first-team plans for this season.
Although it is possible that Calvert-Lewin will be seen as an outlier, rather than his prolific 2021/22 campaign with Carlo Ancelotti's guidance, Everton cannot afford to look backwards.
One banner was displayed outside the old ground that read "Our Motto Is Our Standard". This is exactly how the club should operate. Nilsatis nisi (Nothing but the Best is Enough) is the only way for fans to discontent.
Thelwell's appointment as director of football gives new eyes to the project, and cleans up the mess in the transfer market. Although interest in potential signings is still high, it is encouraging to see Thelwell remain on Merseyside in order to provide some encouragement to Everton’s slow start in this window.
Everton was known to be interested in signing Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks. However, talks have stalled.
Morgan Gibbs White is wanted by Wolves. However, the Midlands club wants more than the initial PS25m offer. He knows he has two years left on his contract and also knows that the buying club has a history of paying premiums for players who aren’t part of their first-team plans.
It appears that their summer business will continue well into August, as is often the case for Everton. However, the Winks case shows they are different when it comes to moving on from targets if a deal does not suit both of them. If Wolves' value as an England Under-21 international does not decrease, they should do the same thing with Gibbs White and expand their reach.
Lampard admires Watford forward Emmanuel Dennis, but it all comes down to the same question - at what cost.
Everton lost 5-1 to Arsenal in their final game of the season. They now face Arsenal in the States in a low-stakes setting. Lampard will be more worried if another similar result is to be had because of the Palace game three day earlier.
Richarlison was injured and missed that day, but now his absence is permanent. If you want to ease any sense of foreboding in the next weeks, it is crucial that you fill the creative void with support.
Even though all pre-season results need to be taken with a grain of salt, Everton and Lampard will need to hit the ground running next year given the current outlook.
"There are many parallels to when I was at the club back in 1993/94, in what happened last season. Even though we started very well, we ended up barely surviving that year. There were many similarities between the boardroom and our unpopular manager. James Tarkowski was signed but they still need more players.
"Everton should still get another centre forward, as that will keep them in the Premier League more than signing defensive defenders. It was not a great squad last season, and Richarlison is gone. They now depend on Dominic Calvert Lewin for goals, and he's not always reliable.
Everton will face serious problems if they don't have someone to score them 10 or 11 Premier League goals - that's what I worry about. Frank is a great appointment. I'm glad Everton stayed up.
Everton's 2022/23 Premier League campaign will start with Chelsea at Goodison Park. This match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. Frank Lampard, a former player, faces Chelsea in an attempt to win a new season.
Richarlison scored Richarlison's only goal in the match when they last met in April. This set off a run of 10 points from five games that saw Everton maintain its top-flight status for the 69th consecutive season. The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports on August 6th at 5.30pm.
The Toffees hope to avoid relegation this season and will travel to Aston Villa (August 13, Brentford (August 27, and Leeds (August 30, respectively) following the curtain-raiser. There will also be a home match against Nottingham Forest (August 20) in between a busy opening month.
Next up is the Merseyside derby at Goodison on September 3. The reverse fixture at Anfield will be played on February 11. Everton will be away to Bournemouth in the final fixture before the World Cup pause.
Boxing Day sees Everton host Wolves and the Premier League season ends with Bournemouth visiting Merseyside.