Pickford made 3 top class saves - which when you think about the pressure that an away goal would have brought to the second leg, for me makes him Man of the Match.

Gana and Martina were also outstanding. Overall an excellent team performance, with several players vying for the MotM award. NIce to Besic back in, and playing well too.

I thought Martina looked really good and perhaps Koeman does know more than us about Everton right backs! On that showing, I'd rather see him there than anyone else who has played that role this season so far.

Klaassen looked good and thought his little touch in the area for Baines was outstanding but not really picked up on.

Pickford, best we've had since Martyn. Love the way he bollocked Rooney in the second half for a sloppy pass. Southall would've done the same.

One thing though, we are absolutely desperate for a big strong target man; hope we can get this over the line this next week.

Finally, if I was going to Split next week, I'd be shitting myself.

Agree with that.
Tom is going to be a very good player. But he is a kid who is developing his game. He will have his ups and downs same as all young players.
Some have him down as being our main man,he should start every game, and Koeman is at fault for not seeing that.

Foolish comments from those saying that.

Reason? We are going to be moving players around, and also the ball so much quicker, and this will take most young footballers by surprise, and is definitely something that they need a bit of time to adapt too.

I hope he can keep getting on the pitch, because it's obviously the best place to learn, especially if he's to become the complete midfielder, that I genuinely think he can become.

A few years to go if he his to stand any chance of becoming that complete player, but I'm glad he's ours, and it was interesting watching Erwin Koeman, (if it was him) and the way he was talking to Tom, whilst he was warming him up at half-time last night.

I hope Mirallus is used again this season as a makeweight transfer before the deadline, he is brilliant as a flattering to deceive performer.

As you say this tie should have been finished last night.

We will've played 4 games in the Europa League before we reach the group stages and could end up playing in Ukraine, Kazakhstan or god knows were once the draw is made. Sorry it's just not for me.

We should throw everything at making the top 4 as this is the only way to progress to the imaginary next level. Top players want to play in the Champions League not the Europa League; until we make it to the Champions League, we will neither keep or attract world class players. On that note, the result last night is irrelevant... Sooner were out the better.

Morgan was the player of the first half for me, followed by Lookman and Martina. Was just great to see us play well for once so far.

But what is it they say? Playing crap and winning is a sign of

Nah, I'm not gonna say it :-)

The 2nd half was a let down and it was good to see Koeman jump on that and let the team know it was unacceptable. Overall it was a good result and I fully expect us to finish the job next week. We are starting to see signs of a very good side. It's very early days I know but get on a decent striker and we could see something special. With Coleman and Bolasie due back this season the squad is all of a sudden starting to look like one that can compete for honours.

Onwards and upwards

They weren't stretching the opposition, who still had 10 men behind the ball, they were just looking to the right instead of to the left.

i much prefer to see it when we can suck a team in, and then get the ball out quickly to the fullback, to create a two on one.

Thought Lookman messed a couple of these up last night, but it was encouraging to see us moving the ball about so much quicker at times?

Dean, I think Davies, is doing alright, but Koeman, is getting his own players in now, and because of this the demands on players who played last year will now increase ten-fold, and Tom, will have to really step up, to stay involved, now he's playing with much better footballers?

Only my opinion ofcourse, but Koeman, can no longer be exasperated simply because most of this team, are now his signings, and if he can't get his ideas across, then it's nobody's fault but his own.

I normally watch the Blues from Row E of the Upper Bullens (at the base of the white ‘V’ to be precise) but for this game I forewent my usual spot and decided to treat a friend, Neil, to a Goodison experience. I bought two seats online for Row K, further towards the Park End. In fact, near the absent away supporters’ block!

Welshman Neil Smith played in Everton’s Youth side in the late fifties along with Derek Temple, to namedrop, but pursued a distinguished career in the Cheshire Constabulary. His location and Police duties prevented him from becoming a regular attendee at the ‘Grand Old Lady’, so this was to be something of a rare treat. You’re getting the feeling that things went wrong already? The power of the written word!

I picked him up from his Sale home at 5.50pm and we headed West. Now this was the day that a metal plate on the M.6’s Thelwall Viaduct decided to break loose. Suffice to say that, despite all the warnings, the reports on the radio didn’t convey the severity of the traffic problem.

Congested doesn’t go anywhere near describing the vehicular carnage on the Cheshire/Greater Manchester lanes heading for Warburton Toll Bridge over the Manchester Ship Canal. They couldn’t cope! In a nutshell, we sat in queues through Carrington and Partington and, having crawled some six miles in 1 hour 50 minutes, reached the point where we turned left and headed for the nearest pub.

From my seat? Which one? The driver’s? Or the faded brown 1950’s upholstery in the Vine Inn, Dunham, where John Smith’s sells for under £2 a pint? Glad the Blues won, despite the Croat animosity under where we would have sat. Saw the final five minutes on YouTube when I returned home……. and will have to try taking Neil to a match again.