It may have been inevitable but it doesn't make it any less depressing that again one of our top young players is being linked with a move to one of the "Top Three" with Manchester United the current favoured media destination for Mr Rodwell. Old wounds begin to open and I can feel the bitter taste of bile slowly filling my mouth as the dear old British press start peddling the same old game of favourites.

The same media that despairs at the decadence of modern society is suddenly so keen to see a boy turn his back on the virtue of loyalty for the promise of success, fame and riches (although compared to the rest of us that is already assured at his current club). Those very people who moan about fat cats and the favours that money can buy in big business are the ones that continue to perpetuate the myth that it is good that the same clubs continue to hoard the best players and monopolise the success.

I believe that Jack Rodwell could achieve his dreams with us - ok, so I would as I'm an Everton fan but even my most pessimistic side thinks that we are more than worthy of five years of this player's career. If by the end of that period Jack feels that he has to look elsewhere for success then so be it, but now is not the time for a young man to move on to uncertain climes. What frustrates me is that somehow the media believe that our club is not big enough or capable of giving a young talent its best chance of thriving - we are an established Premier League side and, at the very least, deserve respect from commentators of the game. Views to the opposite are plain wrong, and I worry about the biases of anyone supporting that view.

And let's not even start on Tony Cascarino's recent comments about Moyes. The ex-Villa striker; a lumbering, useless bully of a player has now morphed into the self-obssessed journalistic equivalent. I can scarcely believe, following the admission in his autobiography that "I was a fraud. A fake Irishman," (after picking up 88 caps for the Republic of Ireland), this man is allowed anything to do with our beautiful game. If the Premier League, due to media pressure, had to bring in a "fit-and-proper persons" test for club owners then perhaps some of our newspapers need to consider a long look at their own employment policies.

Of course, I realise that a fair amount of this blog is perverse, given that it is going up on a blog associated with the Liverpool Echo and, indeed, what gives me the right to say these things, but over the last few weeks I have been horribly sickened by certain sections of the good ol` British press (no means is this aimed at all) - and that goes for some of the horribly xenophobic comments following the France win.

Mikel Arteta wants to finish career at Everton FC

The 27-year-old Spaniard, who is recovering from severe knee ligament damage, scotched rumours he wants a return to Spain in the near future and spoke of his love for the Blues.

Phil Jagielka's happy memories of goalkeeping

The injured Everton defender was famously asked to go between the sticks during a game for his former club Sheffield United when keeper Paddy Kenny went off during a home game with Arsenal.

Now the England star has recalled the impressive shut-out he performed to save the day and earn himself cult status among fans of the South Yorkshire club.

ANOTHER transfer window is looming - so predictably another bright young star at Everton has been linked with a move from Goodison Park.

This time it's Jack Rodwell.

But while it goes without saying that Jack leaving Goodison would be a disastrous move for the Blues, I also think it would be a terrible switch in terms of the lad's development.

Jack is flourishing at Everton.

I'm sure at the start of this season David Moyes earmarked Jack for a certain number of games, but instead circumstances have dictated that he has played in almost every game.

That's been invaluable experience - and Jack certainly hasn't been found wanting.

A lot more has been asked of him, but he has produced a lot more.

David Moyes has shown in the past that he is capable of nurturing young talent and bringing the best out of them, but I can see our manager looking after him in the way Fergie looked after his own flock of fledglings when they first came through.

Obvious comparisons will be drawn with the time Wayne Rooney was sold, but in reality the situations are totally different.

Wayne wanted to leave Everton, and even though we didn't think it at the time, the timing was probably right for him, personally, to move on.

He was already an established England international, despite his tender years, he was incredibly mature and felt that he wanted to move on.

Jack clearly wants to stay put.

He will need help as he continues to develop and he will get that at Everton.

He reminds me in some ways of an old fashioned playmaker, but one who likes to get up and down the pitch.

I'd like to see him with Tim Cahill running off him and perhaps Phil Neville doing the tackling alongside him, giving him the time and space to use the ball.

Obviously that will have to wait until the manager has the luxury of a fully fit squad to choose from, but for the moment Jack's doing fine as he is.

It's been a difficult season for Everton so far, but his performances have been an undoubted high point.

Hopefully he will continue to produce those performances in a Royal Blue jersey for years to come.

Boost for Everton boss David Moyes in international week

INTERNATIONAL weekends are usually a time of torment for club managers.

They sit glued to their TV screens all weekend, praying that their best players aren't suddenly the subject of an injury bulletin on Sky Sports News.

Arsene Wenger received that dreaded news this weekend.

Robin van Persie has been a highly influential player for him this season, but he has been sidelined for weeks now as a result of an international injury.

For David Moyes, however, it's been a productive few days.

Marouane Fellaini and Diniyar Bilyaletdinov will both come back to Finch Farm with their confidence soaring after scoring for their respective countries (provided Russia finish the job in Slovenia tomorrow!) while Yakubu and Joseph Yobo will be absolutely bouncing after their dramatic World Cup qualification.

Their confidence will be sky high and the banter will be flying thick and fast with the other lads who are heading for South Africa (provided they both come straight back and don't spend too long celebrating!)

This break has been a good one for the Blues.

Old Trafford no longer has that fear factor

A TRIP to Old Trafford does not hold quite the same fear factor as it might have done in previous seasons.

There was a time when you might have played Manchester United on their own ground planning just to keep the score down.

But Sunderland were very close to getting a win there recently, so Everton must be thinking of going one better.

Don't get me wrong. United are still a very, very good side.

But this season they don't seem to have that ability to totally destroy teams that they used to have.

I always found that a visit to Old Trafford was more inspiring than intimidating. You go into every match fully aware of its importance.

But a trip to Old Trafford would always pluck that extra five per cent out of players, more so than, say, a trip to Blackburn might.

Hopefully that will be the case this weekend and Everton can score a famous victory.